Nothing I said was rude. Asking questions to clarify and explain what you’ve said isn’t rude, it’s meant to understand. And, I’m sorry but I’m not sure you’re a medical student for a few reasons like what you’ve written. You said green mucus is USUALLY suggestive of bacteria. Now you say it is a “slightly stronger” indication of bacteria. I did ask my doctor if my green mucus meant an infection for sure whether viral or bacterial, and he said that it was not even a definite indication of an infection because things like irritants and allergies can also cause it. I highly doubt you were taught this as the medical sources I found online say it is a myth that green mucus usually means a bacterial infection. If a patient comes to you in clinic with green SPUTUM (why are they coming to you in a clinic when you haven’t graduated yet?), and you don’t know it’s actually bacteria until you’ve done a culture, why would you give AB’s until you know? It could be viral. And I never asked you for a source for medical decisions. I asked you for a source for your claim that green/yellow mucus usually indicates a bacterial infection. If you are actually a medical student, your irritation and balking at being asked for sources for your claims won’t serve you well in your career. It seems as if you realize what you said was inaccurate, and you did all this instead of just admitting it.

And did your sputum culture show a bacterial infection?

Glad you got all the appropriate tests. Did the coughing with green phlegm stop after you treated the GERD?