Sputum

# Overview
Sputum is expectorated matter especially from the air passages in diseases of the lungs, bronchi, or upper respiratory tract. It is matter that is coughed up from the respiratory tract, such as mucus or phlegm, mixed with saliva and then expectorated from the mouth.

# Causes

## Life Threatening Causes
- Amyloidosis
- Hiv
- Infective endocarditis
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Malignant rhabdoid tumors
- Melanoma
- Parkinson's disease
- Penis cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Renal cancer
- Renal failure
- Sarcoma botryoides
- Tuberculosis
- Ureter cancer
- Urethral cancer
- Urinary system cancer
- Wilms tumor

## Common Causes
- Acute pulmonary edema
- Alveolar hydatid disease
- Amoebic abscess
- Amyloidosis
- Aspergillosis
- Asthma
- Atypical pneumonia
- Bacterial pneumonia
- Bacteriodes
- Bronchiectasis
- Bronchitis
- Bronchogenic cyst
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diffuse mucopurulent bronchitis
- Diffuse panbronchiolitis
- Echinococcus granulosus
- Empyema with pleuro-bronchial fistula
- Foreign body in respiratory tract
- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
- Hughes-stovin syndrome
- Hydatid cyst
- Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis
- Laryngeal carcinoma
- Legionaires disease
- Lung abscess
- Lymphangiomyomatosis
- Lymphomatoid granulomatosis
- Maple bark stripper lung disease
- Measles
- Moraxella catarrhalis
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Plague
- Pleural empyema
- Pneumococcal infection
- Pneumocystis
- Pneumonia
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection
- Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis
- Pulmonary arterio-venous malformation
- Pulmonary congestion
- Pulmonary edema
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pulmonary infarction
- Pulmonary infections
- Right middle lobe syndrome
- Staphylococcal infection
- Staphylococcus
- Streptococuus pneumonia
- Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia
- Yersinia pestis

## Causes by Organ System

## Causes in Alphabetical Order
- Actinomycosis
- Acute pulmonary edema
- Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
- Alveolar hydatid disease
- Amoebic abscess
- Amyloidosis
- Aspergillosis
- Asthma
- Atypical pneumonia
- Bacterial pneumonia
- Bacteriodes
- Bronchial adenoma
- Bronchiectasis
- Bronchitis
- Bronchogenic carcinoma
- Bronchogenic cyst
- Carbamoylphosphate synthetase deficiency
- Cardiac failure
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Common variable immune deficiency
- Cyst
- Cystic fibrosis
- Defibrotide
- Dengue
- Dicoumarol
- Diffuse mucopurulent bronchitis
- Diffuse panbronchiolitis
- Echinococcus granulosus
- E-coli
- Empyema with pleuro-bronchial fistula
- Foreign body in respiratory tract
- Goodpasture syndrome
- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia
- Histiocytosis x
- Hiv
- Hughes-stovin syndrome
- Hydatid cyst
- Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis
- Igg deficiency
- Immunocompromise
- Immunodeficiency
- Klebsiella
- Laryngeal carcinoma
- Legionaires disease
- Lung abscess
- Lymphangiomyomatosis
- Lymphomatoid granulomatosis
- Maple bark stripper lung disease
- Measles
- Mediastinal abscess
- Melioidosis
- Mercaptopropionylglycine
- Microscopic polyangiitis
- Mitral valve stenosis
- Moraxella catarrhalis
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Oropharyngeal cancer
- Paracoccidioidomycosis
- Paragonimiasis
- Peptostreptococcus
- Phenprocoumon
- Plague
- Pleural empyema
- Pneumococcal infection
- Pneumocystis
- Pneumonia
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection
- Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis
- Pulmonary arterio-venous malformation
- Pulmonary congestion
- Pulmonary edema
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pulmonary infarction
- Pulmonary infections
- Right middle lobe syndrome
- Staphylococcal infection
- Staphylococcus
- Streptococuus pneumonia
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Tonsillitis
- Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia
- Tuberculosis
- Warfarin
- Wegener's granulomatosis
- Yersinia pestis

# Diagnosis
A sputum sample is the name given to the mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways. It is usually used for microbiological investigations of respiratory infections.
The best sputum samples contain very little saliva, as this contaminates the sample with oral bacteria.
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.
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 is that containing, or consisting of, pus.