Evaluating the Sputum Bacteriological Profile of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections With Bartlett Score Analysis in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern Karnataka

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are one of the most commonly encountered infections with significant mortality and morbidity. Sputum is the most frequently obtained sample for LRTI diagnosis. However, sputum samples carry the risk of being non-representative due to the risk of contamination with oral colonizers. To overcome the dilemma with respect to representative sampling, the use of a scoring system such as the Bartlett scoring system is emphasized. This study probes the bacterial profile of sputum samples among patients presenting with LRTIs and their antibiotic susceptibility profile in relation to the Bartlett scoring system.