i'm elizabeth a tb nurse at the bc
center for disease control tuberculosis
or tb for short is a disease caused by
germs or bacteria that spread through
the air
it's important to know that tb is
treatable and curable in bc tb medicines
are free
your healthcare worker has asked you to
collect your sputum this is a test to
look for active tb disease in the lungs
sputum also known as mucus or phlegm
comes from deep in your lungs it's
usually thick
cloudy and sticky
could be yellow gray or green and if
there's blood in it it could also look
brown or red
you've been asked to collect three
speedo samples at home your healthcare
worker will give you a bag to take home
that has three plastic bags with sputum
bottles lab forms and instructions
now let's go over how to get a good
sputum sample speedum collects in the
lungs overnight so it's best to collect
your sputum first thing in the morning
right after you wake up
do not eat or drink anything do not
brush your teeth use mouthwash or put in
dentures if you have them
breathing in steam from a shower or bath
can make it easier to cough up sputum
wash your hands and check that your name
and date of birth are on the bottle
remove the lid
don't touch the inside of the bottle
and collect your sputum sample away from
others either outside or by an open
window
take some deep breaths and when you're
ready cough hard until sputum comes up
into your mouth
spit the sputum into the bottle
keep coughing and spitting until there's
enough sputum to cover the bottom of the
bottle
one to two teaspoons
screw the lid on tight and make sure the
outside of the bottle is clean make sure
there's only one bottle per bag wash
your hands and seal the bottle in the
bag
and you're going to do this three
mornings in a row
rate the date and time on the lab form
and put it in the outside pocket
put the sealed bag in the fridge not the
freezer
wash your hands one last time
once you've collected all three samples
return them to the drop-off location
provided by your healthcare worker
contact your healthcare worker if you
have trouble collecting your sputum or
are not sure where to return your
bottles
thanks for watching
[Music]
you