Respiratory
Image Set 1 - (MJP) Sputum cultures - Poor quality specimen (10X)
KEY POINTS: Sputum cultures are frequently contaminated by upper respiratory tract bacteria, making their use as a diagnostic modality controversial. To protect the integrity of the specimen many labs have tried to quantify what makes a good specimen by setting limits on the number of squamous epithelial cells found in a given sample. This value is representative of oropharyngeal contamination and is set between 10-25 cells per low-power field (lpf). This value may also be compared to the number of WBCs per low-power field, which has been set at 25 or less. This value indicates the degree of inflammation present. If these values are exceeded, a new specimen may need to be obtained.
Sputum cultures 01
Sputum cultures 02
Sputum cultures 03
Sputum cultures 04
Sputum cultures 05
Click on images to magnify