Definition | |
---|---|
Saliva | Presence of squamous epithelial cells and/or dark patches; absence of particulate material, absence of significant number of polymorphoneutrophils/macrophages |
Mucus | Acellular, defined edges |
Degraded sputum | Presence of dark patches of material on ×10 objective which, using ×100 objective, are totally covered with blue-staining non-mycobacterial bacteria; presence of polymorphoneutrophils/macrophages and/or fibrils |
Insufficient sputum (good quality, insufficient quantity) | Presence of patches of polymorphoneutrophils/macrophages and/or fibrils, but filling fewer than ten fields when using ×10 objective |
"Good/real" sputum (good quality, good quantity) | Presence of ten or more fields of polymorphoneutrophils/macrophages and/or fibrils when using ×10 objective |