A nurse suspects that the patient may have tuberculosis.She sends a sputum sample to the lab for testing.When the following tests are compared, which will best support the diagnosis of possible tuberculosis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sputum specimens are collected to identify cancer cells, for culture and sensitivity (C&S) to identify pathogens and determine the antibiotics to which they are sensitive, and for acid-fast bacilli to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis.Cytological or cellular examinations of sputum may identify aberrant cells or cancer.Chemical analysis would indicate chemicals within the blood, not sputum.Sputum collected for culture and sensitivity testing is used to identify specific microorganisms and to determine which antibiotics are most sensitive.A definitive diagnosis of TB also requires a sputum culture and sensitivity.

A Nurse Suspects That the Patient May Have Tuberculosis