sputum smear
Noun: A sputum smear is a laboratory specimen prepared for microscopic examination. It is created by spreading a sample of mucus (sputum) coughed up from the lungs or bronchi onto a glass slide. This smear is then stained and examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells, bacteria (like those causing tuberculosis), or other indicators of disease.
A sputum smear is primarily used as a diagnostic tool in medical settings. * The doctor ordered a sputum smear to check for the presence of acid-fast bacilli, which would indicate tuberculosis. * The laboratory technician prepared the sputum smear carefully to ensure an even layer of cells for analysis. * Results from the sputum smear were negative for malignant cells, providing some relief to the patient.
- Sputum smear microscopy is a specific diagnostic technique, often the first test used in high-burden countries to detect pulmonary tuberculosis.
- The term is often part of a standardized diagnostic process, such as "three consecutive morning sputum smears" for TB testing.
- Sputum cytology: A broader term for the cytologic examination of sputum, for which a sputum smear is the prepared sample.
- Sputum sample / specimen: The collected mucus before it is smeared onto a slide.
- Smear test: A general term for any diagnostic test involving a thinly spread sample on a slide (e.g., Pap smear, blood smear).
- Respiratory cytology smear
- Pulmonary cytology specimen (This is a more general term that could include other collection methods like bronchial washings.)
The term sputum smear specifically refers to the prepared slide, not the act of collecting the sample or the sputum itself. Its primary purpose is for cytologic study (examining cells for cancer) or microbiologic study (identifying infectious organisms like Mycobacterium tuberculosis).
- any of several cytologic smears obtained from different parts of the lower respiratory tract; used for cytologic study of cancer and other diseases of the lungs