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(MAC/MAI) Mycobacterium Avium Complex Pulmonary Disease: Join us
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Nov 21 5:21pm | Replies (9354)Comment receiving replies
Dear All, I learned something new today I thought I'd share. I have ALWAYS requested a "hard" copy of my Mayo Clinic Sputum Culture reports for my personal files .. but frankly YEARS LATER have realized I was misreading the results!! Through the years on the Mycobacterium I have read "Few, Many, One Colony, Two Colony etc". I honestly thought "Few" meant just a few Mycobacterium .. hmmm. When you know better .. you share with your Connect Community! SO .. ALWAYS request copies of your Sputum Culture Reports .. AND question anything you do not understand .. I didn't (POOR Due Diligence!) and now in going back through past reports really see a fuller picture of my lung issues. BUT in my defense .. by requesting that report .. I DID find out WHY I was SO sick in February .. saw the 3 new bacteria .. called Mayo Clinic and requested an appt. So I have added the below to my File Cabinet! Hugs to all! Katherine
SPUTUM CULTURE REPORTS (Per Mayo Clinic Doctor 6/17) FEW: lab says "few" it usually indicates 2-10 colonies
MANY: not sure of the exact number of colonies needed to call it "many" but this description is always indicative of a high burden of bacteria
ONE COLONY: shows an improvement over "FEW OR MANY"
Replies to "Dear All, I learned something new today I thought I'd share. I have ALWAYS requested a..."
@windwalker Hi Terri, Yes, I did have a positive culture for pseudomonas & insurance still denied it. Was on Cefipime IV for 21 days.
@jentaylor Well,
that is crazy that you kept getting denied for it and Katherine and I can get it
covered. I have been watching the National Jewish Health videos tonight and the
conference videos in D.C. for what I have seen, the Cefipine is also a very good
med and it seemed to work for you.
How can I see the video’s from the conference?
JO Ann
@jkiemen I looked it up on Ypu Tube. I don't know if that's the only way...?
@katemn So,
what does 'FEW' mean on your lab reports?
@windwalker, Terri, I do NOT know if different doctor define it differently but this is what I was told .. would be VERY interested if other Members question THEIR doctors and find if there is a DEFINITIVE answer! Hugs! Katherine
From my File Cabinet
SPUTUM CULTURE REPORTS (Per Mayo Clinic Doctor 6/17)
FEW: lab says "few" it usually indicates 2-10 colonies
MANY: not sure of the exact number of colonies needed to call it "many" but this description is always indicative of a high burden of bacteria
ONE COLONY: shows an improvement over "FEW OR MANY"
@katemn
Thank you for that info Katherine. Boy! I would just love to be in the lab
and see all of that stuff! I have always been intrigued with microscopic
things in general.
Connect
@jentaylor Jen, I was just catching up on some old e-mails and came across
this one. You have to have a positive lab result for pseudomonas in order to get
the toby approved. It does not treat MAC. Did you have a positive result for
pseudomonas?