Your doctor wants to collect some of the sputum ("phlegm") that you cough up from your lungs. The laboratory will test the sputum for tuberculosis (TB) germs. Checking your sputum is the best way to find out if you have TB disease.
How do you test for sputum TB?
One of the best ways to diagnose TB is through a sputum culture. A sputum culture is a test to find germs (such as TB bacteria) that can cause an infection. A sample of sputum is added to a substance that promotes the growth of bacteria. If no bacteria grow, the culture is negative.
What can a sputum test show?
Sputum is a thick substance that accumulates when bacteria or fungi grows and multiples in the lungs or bronchi.
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A sputum test can diagnose:
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A sputum test can diagnose:
- Bronchitis.
- Lung abscess.
- Pneumonia.
- Tuberculosis.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Cystic fibrosis.
