Abstract
Free full text
Comparison of six different criteria for judging the acceptability of sputum specimens.
Abstract
A series of 391 unselected expectorated sputum specimens was examined microscopically, and six different published criteria for judging the acceptability of the specimens were applied. Of the 391 specimens, 234 were found to be acceptable or unacceptable by all six criteria; 157 specimens were discrepant. By the criteria of Murray and Washington and of Barry, 25 and 23% of the specimens, respectively, were rejected; only 19 of 143 specimens which contained potential pathogens as part of their predominant microbial flora were rejected by both sets of criteria. The criteria described by Geckler et al. and Bartlett missed fewer potential pathogens; only 9 or 17% of the specimens, respectively, were found unacceptable. The criteria of Heineman and Radano and of Van Scoy resulted in the greatest percentages of specimens judged unacceptable (28 and 29%, respectively), including 19 and 24% of specimens containing potential pathogens. The reproducibility of sputum screening results was also assessed, comparing the method of Murray and Washington with that of Barry. Six separate slides were prepared from each of 45 different specimens: three samples with purulent or bloody flecks and three samples in which the specimens had been mixed with an applicator swab. Satisfactory reproducibility was observed with both criteria and both sampling methods; no significant differences in reproducibility could be documented in this limited series.
Full text
Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (785K), or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Links to PubMed are also available for Selected References.
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Geckler RW, Gremillion DH, McAllister CK, Ellenbogen C. Microscopic and bacteriological comparison of paired sputa and transtracheal aspirates. J Clin Microbiol. 1977 Oct;6(4):396–399. [Europe PMC free article] [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
- Heineman HS, Chawla JK, Lopton WM. Misinformation from sputum cultures without microscopic examination. J Clin Microbiol. 1977 Nov;6(5):518–527. [Europe PMC free article] [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
- Heineman HS, Radano RR. Acceptability and cost savings of selective sputum microbiology in a community teaching hospital. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Oct;10(4):567–573. [Europe PMC free article] [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
- Murray PR, Washington JA. Microscopic and baceriologic analysis of expectorated sputum. Mayo Clin Proc. 1975 Jun;50(6):339–344. [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
- Van Scoy RE. Bacterial sputum cultures. A clinician's viewpoint. Mayo Clin Proc. 1977 Jan;52(1):39–41. [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
Associated Data
Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
Full text links
Read article at publisher's site: https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.16.4.627-631.1982
Read article for free, from open access legal sources, via Unpaywall: https://europepmc.org/articles/pmc272434?pdf=render
Free to read at intl-jcm.asm.org
http://intl-jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/16/4/627
Free after 4 months at intl-jcm.asm.org
http://intl-jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/16/4/627.pdf
Citations & impact
Impact metrics
Citations of article over time
Smart citations by scite.ai
Explore citation contexts and check if this article has been
supported or disputed.
https://scite.ai/reports/10.1128/jcm.16.4.627-631.1982
Article citations
The diagnostic utility of microscopic quality assessment of sputum samples in the era of rapid syndromic PCR testing.
Microbiol Spectr, e0300223, 29 Sep 2023
Cited by: 0 articles | PMID: 37772853 | PMCID: PMC10581175
The Sputum Microbiome in Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Its Association With Disease Manifestations: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Front Microbiol, 12:633396, 20 Aug 2021
Cited by: 5 articles | PMID: 34489876 | PMCID: PMC8417804
Candida Spp. in Lower Respiratory Tract Secretions - A Ten Years Retrospective Study.
J Crit Care Med (Targu Mures), 7(3):217-226, 01 Jul 2021
Cited by: 3 articles | PMID: 34722925 | PMCID: PMC8519383
An observational study of anaerobic bacteria in cystic fibrosis lung using culture dependant and independent approaches.
Sci Rep, 11(1):6845, 25 Mar 2021
Cited by: 9 articles | PMID: 33767218 | PMCID: PMC7994387
Evaluation of semi-quantitative compared to quantitative cultures of tracheal aspirates for the yield of culturable respiratory pathogens - a cross-sectional study.
BMC Pulm Med, 20(1):284, 29 Oct 2020
Cited by: 2 articles | PMID: 33121470 | PMCID: PMC7594958
Go to all (34) article citations
Similar Articles
To arrive at the top five similar articles we use a word-weighted algorithm to compare words from the Title and Abstract of each citation.
Judging respiratory specimen acceptability for AFB microscopy: visual vs. microscopic screening.
Trop Med Int Health, 14(5):571-575, 02 Mar 2009
Cited by: 8 articles | PMID: 19298638
Experience with a microscopic screening program for sputum specimens.
Health Lab Sci, 14(1):17-21, 01 Jan 1977
Cited by: 3 articles | PMID: 833001
Nonvalue of sputum culture in the management of lower respiratory tract infections.
J Clin Microbiol, 25(5):758-762, 01 May 1987
Cited by: 70 articles | PMID: 2438299 | PMCID: PMC266084
[Evaluation of 5 selection criteria for sputum as a valid sample for culture].
Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin, 9(10):603-607, 01 Dec 1991
Cited by: 0 articles | PMID: 1822149