Physical properties mokorty
Sputum - abnormal product, allocated for respiratory diseases.
Number of allocated sputum
In certain lung diseases (bronchiectasis, abscess, gangrene and PR.), accompanied by release of large amounts of phlegm, It is necessary to determine its daily amount. In such cases, sputum or immediately collected in a graduated glassware, or poured in such in a laboratory.
The smell of phlegm
Freshly sputum usually has no odor. When expressed pathological processes (abscess, gangrene Skytrain) notes putrid, gangrenous smell, which intensified when standing in an open pot of sputum.
The color of sputum
Coating sputum depends on the number of leukocytes and erythrocytes impurities. Mucous sputum is usually gray or whitish-gray color, purulent - yellow or greenish-yellow.
In describing the color and character of sputum on the second place mention the predominant factor: eg, gray-yellow sputum corresponds to its muco-purulent, t. it is. pus in the sputum prevails. The admixture of red blood cells, depending on the nature of the changes hemosiderin causes red, brownish or rusty color of sputum. Sputum can only sometimes stained with blood or have a slightly reddish (brownish) tint. Sputum or crimson hue observed in the autolysis of cancer or other malignant neoplasms of the lung. Yellow mucus observed at the opening of the general jaundice and liver abscess in the lung. The black color of phlegm caused considerable admixture of coal dust. Sputum brown (chocolate) color stands out in abscess, bronchiectasis lung, breakthrough empyema through the bronchi due to decomposition hemosiderin enzymes anaerobic bacteria. The color of sputum may be caused by impurities wine, coffee, drugs, etc..
The character of sputum
There are serous, mucous, purulent mucous, puromucous, seropurulent, bloody, asthmatic (the presence of yellowish powdery scraps plotnovata, containing a large number of eosinophilic granulocytes and Charcot-Leyden crystals) sputum. The nature of the final set when sputum microscopic examination in view of its colors. For Example, gray sputum corresponds to its mucous character, yellowish-gray - purulent mucous, grayish-yellow - muco- purulent, etc.. d.
The consistency of the sputum
Sputum is a liquid, stringy, gelatinous, moderately viscous, viscous consistency. There may be non-uniform consistency sputum, eg jelly with moderately viscous or sticky lumps, with liquid or gelatinous lumps scraps, etc..
The viscosity of sputum depends on its content of microorganisms, proteolytic enzymes which contribute to the degradation of sputum. When amplification of the inflammatory process in the bronchi, along with increasing the amount of protein, leukocytes and the total number of pathogenic microorganisms, usually, marked thinning sputum. Antibiotic therapy helps thicken phlegm.
Form sputum
The shape of the sputum may be grainy, lumpy, klochkovatoy.
Pathological impurities sputum
The sputum may be food contaminants, do not have a diagnostic value, and impurities, coming directly from the pathological focus, in the form of tufts of fabric of different density, stained with blood or black pigment from coal. There are also dense yellowish crisp pieces, consisting of fibrin and eosinophilic granulocytes, whitish-grayish lumps (cork Dietrich), grayish-whitish dense grain risovidnye (of cavities in tuberculosis), yellowish fine grains of semolina (Druze actinomycetes), whitish strips (calcified decay), chitin shell fragments echinococcus bubble, etc..
