Applying sputum as a diagnostic tool in pneumonia: limited yield, minimal impact on treatment decisions.

Study Objectives: We evaluated the role of sputum examination in the management of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in a primary-care hospital without microbiologic laboratory facilities.

Design And Interventions: A diagnostic strategy using regular collection of sputum samples, Gram staining in a local laboratory, and mailing of samples to a commercial laboratory for culture analysis.

Setting: A 200-bed primary-care hospital without subspeciality physicians.