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Help Getting Sputum Sample
First time posting here, although I have been reading the daily updates for several months. I’ve found this support group to be incredibly informative and helpful. Thank you all!
I am a 79 year old female with no major health issues until last year when I had a dry unproductive cough that just wouldn’t quit. GP tried all the usual things (Claritin and Flonase, then an albuterol inhaler, Singulair followed by Advair and eventually albuterol in a nebulizer. Shortness of breath was never an issue and none of these medications helped the dry could. After a chest xray (negative) he ordered a CT scan which showed “Biapical subpleural lung scarring. Mild bronchiolitis right middle lobe with mild bronchiectasis.” He then ordered a lung function test where the results were in the low normal range. Referred to a pulmonologist.
In the meantime, I asked about airway clearance using hypertonic saline. Now using 3% twice a day which helps loosen the mucus making the cough at least a little productive.
Yesterday, after a six month wait, I got to consult with the pulmonologist. Their practice sees 200 to 300 bronchiectasis patients which I took as an encouraging sign. He took a thorough medical history and spent a good bit of time explaining the details of the CT scan. I felt encouraged. The next step is taking a sputum sample for three days. There’s my problem: I can’t bring up enough to spit in the cup! I’ve always swallowed whatever I coughed and coughing anything out doesn’t seem to work. Any suggestions to help me get those samples would be much appreciated.
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Welcome to our group! Glad you found us. Sadly, your journey to bronchiectasis is not that uncommon. We seem to all have stories involving long lengths of time to diagnosis. In my case, my initial diagnosis was asthma. The bronchiectasis diagnosis came years later.
To produce more sputum, how about trying 7% saline? It might make you cough a bit, seems a bit hard on throat at first but I find it helps bring up the gunk. I was advised by a RT to take small sips of water throughout clearance to keep the throat/trachea lubricated. You might take 1200mg of long acting mucinex with large glass of water 2 hours prior to clearance.
Then there's airway clearance. Since you're newly diagnosed perhaps you can meet with a respiratory therapist for instruction and guidance. Here's a link to everything you wanted to know and more about airway clearance: https://bronchiectasis.com.au/physiotherapy
Lastly, check out the thread here on the ABC's of bronchiectasis for lots of more information on our shared disease.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/resources-for-the-abcs-on-bronchiectasis-and-mac-ntm/?pg=7#comment-1346071
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2 ReactionsThanks very much for the suggestions! And the links too. I feel like I'm in the company of good friends 🙂
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2 ReactionsWe are very similar! I also have not been able to produce a sample so while I can’t assist there I did note in your message your results of Biapical subpleural lung scarring. My report shows this is consistent with Mild bronchiolitis. I can’t seem to get an answer about these findings so if you get more information or anyone has more insight I would be pleased to get feedback. I have reached out to the radiologist but haven’t gotten a response.
Very similar experience here. Once I started getting knowledgeable care, I could not produce a good sputum sample -- even with saline nebulizing & aerobika -- until I was trained by respiratory therapist. My sputum samples then showed MAC.