Welch D F, Kelly M T
J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Apr;9(4):520-4. doi: 10.1128/jcm.9.4.520-524.1979.
Gram-stained smears of specimens submitted for sputum cultures were compared with direct wet mounts examined by Nomarski interference contrast microscopy (NIM) for enumeration of squamous epithelial cells (EPC) and leukocytes (WBC). The results obtained by the two methods were comparable, but specimens were more rapidly screened and cell types were more readily differentiated by NIM. Specimens submitted for sputum culture over a 3-month period were examined for EPC and WBC by NIM. Twenty-two percent of the specimens had greater than 25 EPC/field or a predominance of EPC (class I), 30% had greater than 25 EPC and greater than 25 WBC/field (class II), and 48% had greater than 25 WBC/field or a predominance of WBC (class III). The clinical relevance of the culture results was determined by reviewing the records of patients whose specimens were included in the study. Class I specimens provided only 30% clinically relevant culture results. Specimens in class II provided useful culture results in 63% of the patients, and 96% of those in class III provided clinically relevant information. The results confirm the value of sputum screening and demonstrate that NIM provides a rapid, simple, and accurate method for sputum screening.
将提交进行痰培养的标本的革兰氏染色涂片与通过诺马斯基干涉对比显微镜（NIM）检查的直接湿涂片进行比较，以计数鳞状上皮细胞（EPC）和白细胞（WBC）。两种方法获得的结果具有可比性，但通过NIM对标本进行筛查更快，且细胞类型更容易区分。对3个月期间提交进行痰培养的标本通过NIM检查EPC和WBC。22%的标本每视野EPC大于25个或EPC占优势（I类），30%的标本每视野EPC大于25个且WBC大于25个（II类），48%的标本每视野WBC大于25个或WBC占优势（III类）。通过查阅纳入研究的患者记录来确定培养结果的临床相关性。I类标本仅提供30%具有临床相关性的培养结果。II类标本在63%的患者中提供了有用的培养结果，III类标本中96%提供了具有临床相关性的信息。结果证实了痰筛查的价值，并表明NIM为痰筛查提供了一种快速、简单且准确的方法。
