When you have a respiratory tract infection or a lung-related disorder, your lungs produce a thick substance known as sputum. This substance can make it hard to breathe, cause coughing, and harbor ...

Early and accurate detection is critical for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and providing appropriate care for patients. Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, which require inserting a long shaft into the ...

In a meta-analysis, researchers found that sputum was more accurate than nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs. The study also shows early testing increased rates of COVID-19 diagnosis. Early and ...

A sputum culture is a sample of the gooey substance that often comes up from your chest when you have an infection in your lungs or airways. It is mostly made up of white blood cells that fight ...

Specimen Identification Label container with patient's first name, last name and DOB include date and time of collection. Special Instructions Indicate specimen source on requisition slip Collect ...