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Do all pulmonologists encourage their patients to submit sputum test?

MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Jul 21, 2022 | Replies (12)
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@becleartoday

I am not taking antibiotics. Many doctors like regular sputum samples to check for possible Pseudomonas or NTM. The current consensus regarding Pseudomonas is an attempt at eradication.

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Replies to "I am not taking antibiotics. Many doctors like regular sputum samples to check for possible Pseudomonas..."
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jul 9, 2022

I have been looking periodically since your post, to see if there are any clinically recommended intervals for sputum cultures in the absence of evidence of infection. Do you know of any recent studies?
So far I have not found anything, so I will ask my pulmo next week at my regular appointment if there are new recommendations. She & the ID doc have told me that if there is no symptomatic indication of infection they do not test. Those symptoms would include yellow or green sputum, increased sputum and cough, fever, fatigue, general feeling of being unwell.
Sue

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