CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE AIRWAY DISEASE - BACTERIAL + CELLULAR CONTENT OF SPUTUM

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Abstract
A group of 13 patients with chronic obstructive airway disease was followed for 40 consecutive days, with daily examination of their clinical status and of the gross and microscopic characteristics and the bacteriologic content of their sputum. Diplococcus pneumoniae and H. influenzae were recovered frequently from the sputum of these patients. There was no relationship between the presence or the numbers of these organisms in the sputum and the purulence of the specimens in the group as a whole. These findings are interpreted to mean that, although D. pneumoniae and H. influenzae are frequently recovered from such sputum, it does not follow that they can be considered the usual cause of exacerbations. Only careful evaluation of each patient, possibly supplemented by more direct study of the bronchial secretions, will allow proper recognition of the factors (bacteriologic, viral, environmental, or other) operating at any given time in the worsening or improvement of the basic disease process.

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