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What Does My Sputum Culture Test Report Indicate?

Posted on Thu, 10 Sep 2015

Question: I had a sputum culture and sensitivity done on 08/21/15...results show MANY GRAM POSITIVE COCCI IN PAIRS AND CHAINS.. MANY GRAM POSITIVE RODS..... CULTURE SHOWS HEAVY GROWTH NORMAL RESPIRATORY FLORA CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THIS MEANS. HAVE BEEN ILL FOR MONTHS NOW AND I SUGGESTED I HAVE THIS TEST RAN. I GOT THE RESULTS MYSELF TODAY AND WANT TO UNDERSTAND.

Answered by Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (17 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Need more info

Detailed Answer:
Hello

Thanks for the query

Your culture results is normal and it states that there is growth of the normal bacteria present in your system. These bacterial flora help protect your system from harmful ones

However at times even these normal flora can be troublesome so in order to help you I need more info

1. when you say you were ill, what symptoms were you having ?
2. what medications have been tried ?
3. Do you smoke? if yes how much

Please get back to me, I am awaiting your reply

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (14 minutes later)

I have been Ill off and on for 2 years...I have chronic sinusitis allergic asthma and Addisons disease. I am allergic to all penicillin derivitives..have taken EVERY ANTIBIOTIC you can imagine along with iv steroids and oral...I suffer from shortness of breath and chest heaviness over all feeling of feeling fatigued. I also take several inhalers and breathing treatments. I am not a smoker.. deathly allergic...so it's stating my labs are normal??? There is not any abnormality of bacteria growing in my lungs to make the chest heaviness never go away? My symptoms have worsened the last 3 months

Answered by Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
No antibiotic required

Detailed Answer:
Hello

Thanks for getting back. I dont recommend being treated for normal the present culture report especially if you dont have fever.
Here is what you should do

1. Get a CT chest done to see for any pathology in the lungs, if that is normal then I recommend CT of the para nasal sinuses to see for chronic sinusitis. If there is evidence indeed then approach an ENT specialist for FESS, Functional endoscopic sinus surgery which is a surgical procedure for sinusitis

2. If there is no evidence of sinusisits then I recommend getting an abosute eosniophil count and also pulmonary function test done to rule out aasthma.

Since you are suffering from 2 years now I suggest approaching a multispeciality center with ENT and Pulmonology back up. Getting chronically treated with antibiotics is not the answer

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar