When you have a respiratory tract infection or a lung-related disorder, your lungs produce a thick substance known as sputum. This substance can make it hard to breathe, cause coughing, and harbor ...

A sputum stain for Mycobacteria is a laboratory test performed on a sample of your sputum, or phlegm. It’s also known as an acid-fast bacillus (AFB) stain or a tuberculosis (TB) smear. A doctor ...

The body produces mucus, also known as phlegm or sputum, to protect sensitive tissues in the airways. Changes in the sputum color, thickness, or quantity of phlegm may indicate a health problem, such ...

A sputum culture is a sample of the gooey substance that often comes up from your chest when you have an infection in your lungs or airways. It is mostly made up of white blood cells that fight ...