What kind of sputum is seen in chronic bronchitis?

• A. Frequent cough with thick, excessive mucus
• B. Pink frothy sputum
• C. Clear sputum
• D. No sputum

Answer: (A)

A productive cough with thick, excessive mucus is the hallmark feature of chronic bronchitis. This condition involves mucus hypersecretion from enlarged goblet cells and submucosal glands, leading to a persistent, daily cough that brings up thick mucus for an extended period. In chronic bronchitis, the cough and mucus production are chronic—often described as lasting for months and recurring over years—reflecting the ongoing airway inflammation and remodeling.

Pink frothy sputum points to pulmonary edema, where fluid leaks into the airspaces and mixes with blood, not the mucus overproduction seen in chronic bronchitis. Clear sputum can occur with viral infections or less mucus-producing conditions, but it does not define chronic bronchitis. No sputum would suggest a nonproductive cough, which is not characteristic of chronic bronchitis.

So the description of frequent cough with thick, excessive mucus best fits chronic bronchitis, capturing the key feature of mucus hypersecretion driving the productive cough.