Gp receptionist rejected my sputum sample as not big enough

[Mustardfan]

I don’t know if she was correct in doing this - the sample was a pea sized amount? I asked her if she could send it off anyway and let the lab decide, but she refused. I’ve got bronchiectasis and my GP has given me antibiotics, but told me to hold off taking them until I’ve had a sputum sample tested, if possible. Does anyone know how big a sample needs to be? I don’t think I’m going to be able to bring up a bigger sample into my mouth. I took deep breaths and did some huffing and waved my arms up and down to bring this up. Any other tips?

Producing the sample

1. Complete the chest clearance exercises or wait until you are ready to cough up sputum.
2. Cough into the pot. Please be aware you will need an amount of sputum at least the size of your little fingernail.

If this was indeed the size of your sample, then contact the practice manager?

www.kch.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/pl-1102.1-how-to-provide-a-sputum-sample.pdf

Thanks for sharing that document, perhaps I could share that with the receptionist if it happens again, they said to me it needed to fill the bottom of the tube, indicating over a cm. My sample was borderline as to whether it was as big as a small fingernail. I’m trying to produce one again this morning.