Mucus Sample, best time?
Hi everyone, just wondered if anyone has produced a mucus sample the evening before sending it in to gp/hospital.
I find it easier to do in the afternoon or evening.
Feeling a bit offish of late, tired all the time, aching joints etc,
Try to get through it but think I might need to start my rescue pack soon, so really need to send a sample. I have sent previously in the morning, (has to be at gp by midday for collection)
Any feedback on this thank you.
They usually do multiple pickups frm surgeries now.its advices to go in to surgery within 2hrs.its been found that the common bugs that survive without being the offending problem,can change the balance in the sample if left
Our experience is that it tends to depend on local protocol and who is managing your care: if unwell, we currently post a sample to the child’s respiratory hospital via Royal Mail. It usually gets there next day, but travels like any other post and takes around 24 hours; it’s common practice with the specialist hospital she attends in London and they’ve been doing that since long before covid happened. So far, she’s always cultured the expected bacteria (and some unexpected ones) in the same way she did/does when we hand fresh samples in to the medics same day e.g. in clinic or on the ward. Previous doctors/teams have told us to refrigerate a sample overnight before submitting if we must, but she tends to be at her mankiest and most productive of a morning, so it’s not something we’ve needed to do. Others still have given us a stash of forms and allowed us to drop samples directly at the local hospital rather than going through the GP, meaning any time of day was fine as long as it was within business hours Monday to Friday.
You can sometimes find what the local protocol is for this kind of thing by googling something along the lines of ‘sputum collection guidelines’ and then the name of your hospital or local CCG. If they’re available online, that will usually bring up links to the relevant local pathology and microbiology documents that detail the preferred way to store samples, which often includes for patients at home ahead of submitting to the GP.
I usually post mine to the hospital, in London. It seems to work ok. If I’m sending one in to the local hospital, I don’t keep it in the fridge beforehand, and my husband takes it there asap. I don’t trust my surgery not to mess the process up!
I normally take to my gp surgery as it is only a short walk away.I haven't had any problems in the past...ive never sent in the post.
I think the next time I speak to my respiratory consultant I'll have a word with him about it.
He has said in the past I could drop off at the hospital, but it's quite a drive and I'm not usually up to it at the time.
Ah well, that’s different. My local is only 3 miles & my husband can take it if I feel too ropey. I think the surgery’s your best bet then. Some people say store in fridge, but it doesn’t make sense to me, when it’s come from warm lungs. Hope you feel better soon. Have you done a covid test? 😘
Hi, I’ve been doing sputum samples for very many years, get to gp surgery ASAP, usually day done. Have never been told to put in fridge. When have had series of nasties in lungs continue with antibiotics (I keep my own supply of three that only now work). Leaving them off until get results, that now take longer than few years ago, can mean that infections in lungs get stronger and are therefore more difficult again. Best wishes xx
Yes you can take a sample any time and take it to surgery to be collected the following day. On one occassion I was ill on a Friday and waited till Monday to deliver the Friday sample. It was fine and they found Klebsiela having a party in my lungs 
Yes we are all different. Just to clarify, I do mean a sputum sample. Hope you are feeling better soon
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Hi, sometimes I think you need to get a sample when you can. If it's the day before it is best kept in the fridge until you can take it to your surgery. If you take one in tomorrow though you won't get the result before weekend so may need to start your rescue pack before the result if you feel you are having a flare up or developing an infection.
Thanks you for that advice, I wasn't sure whether to put in the fridge. I'll see how I feel over the next few days, but yes, I normally start taking them as soon as I've sent sample in.