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sputum

 
(spyū'təm) pronunciation
n., pl., -ta (-tə).
Matter coughed up and usually ejected from the mouth, including saliva, foreign material, and substances such as mucus or phlegm, from the respiratory tract.

[Latin spūtum, from neuter past participle of spuere, to spit.]


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Mucous secretion from the lungs, bronchi and trachea which is ejected through the mouth by humans but not so in animals and it is assumed that it is swallowed.

  • s. cup — a small—1 inch diameter—cup on a long handle for the collection of sputum from the pharynx of a large animal.
  • s. specimen — a sample of mucous secretion from the bronchi and lungs. The specimen may be examined microscopically for the presence of malignant cells (cytological examination) or tested to identify pathogenic bacteria (bacteriological examination).
(spyōō′təm)
n

Matter ejected from the mouth; saliva mixed with mucus and other substances from the respiratory tract.

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categories related to 'sputum'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to sputum, see:

Abnormal sputum
Enterococcus histological pneumonia 01.png

Cocci-shaped Enterococcus sp. bacteria taken from a pneumonia patient.
ICD-10 R09.3
ICD-9 786.4

Sputum is mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways. It is usually used for microbiological investigations of respiratory infections.[1]

The best sputum samples contain very little saliva,[2] as this contaminates the sample with oral bacteria. This event is assessed by the clinical microbiologist by examining a Gram stain of the sputum. More than 25 squamous epithelial cells at low enlargement indicates salivary contamination.[citation needed]

When a sputum specimen is plated out, it is best to get the portion of the sample that most looks like pus onto the swab. If there is any blood in the sputum, this should also be on the swab.[citation needed]

Microbiological sputum samples are usually used to look for infections by Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. Other pathogens can also be found.

Purulent Sputum[3] contains a lot of pus, composed of white blood cells, cellular debris, dead tissue, serous fluid and viscous liquid (mucus). Mostly, it's yellow in color, as well as green. That is always seen in cases of bronchiectasis, lung abscess, or advanced stage of bronchitis, acute upper respiratory tract infection (cold, laryngitis).

Sputum can be:

  1. Bloody[4] (Hemoptysis)
    1. blood-streaked sputum - inflammation of throat, bronchi; lung cancer;
    2. Pink sputum - sputum evenly mixed with blood, from alveoli, small bronchi;
    3. massive blood - cavitary tuberculosis of lung, lung abscess, bronchiectasis, infarction, embolism.
  2. Rusty colored - usually caused by pneumococcal bacteria (in pneumonia)
  3. Purulent - containing pus. The color can provide hints as to effective treatment in Chronic Bronchitis Patients[5]:
    1. a yellow-greenish (mucopurulent) color suggests that treatment with antibiotics can reduce symptoms. Green color is caused by Neutrophil Myeloperoxidase.
    2. a white, milky, or opaque (mucoid) appearance often means that antibiotics will be ineffective in treating symptoms. (This information may correlate with the presence of bacterial or viral infections, though current research does not support that generalization.)
  4. Foamy white - may come from obstruction or even edema.
  5. Frothy pink - pulmonary edema

References

  1. ^ Sputum definition - Medical Dictionary definitions of popular medical terms easily defined on MedTerms
  2. ^ Clinical Microbiology procedures handbook, American Society for Microbiology 2nd Ed. 2007 update
  3. ^ Richard F.LeBlond (in English). Diagnostics_expectoration. US: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. ISBN 0-07-140923-8. 
  4. ^ Richard F.LeBlond (in English). Diagnostics_expectoration. US: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. ISBN 0-07-140923-8. 
  5. ^ Sputum Color is the Key to Treating Acute COPD Exacerbations

External links



Translations:

Sputum

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - opspyt, spyt

Nederlands (Dutch)
sputum, spuug

Français (French)
n. - expectoration, crachat

Deutsch (German)
n. - Sputum, Speichel

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ιατρ.) πτύελο, φλέμα, σίελος, σάλιο

Italiano (Italian)
sputo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - saliva (f)

Русский (Russian)
слюна, мокрота

Español (Spanish)
n. - esputo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - sputum, upphostning, utspottning, slem, spott

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
唾液, 痰

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 唾液, 痰

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 침, 가래, 객담

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - つば, 唾液, 痰

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) بلغم, بصاق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮רוק, כיח‬


 
 
Related topics:
droplet infection (medicine)
Curschmann's spirals
expectoration

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American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
 Rhymes. Oxford University Press. © 2006, 2007 All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Sputum Read more
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