Specimen Requirements

Submit only one of the following

Specimen Type: Sputum, ETT aspirate, tracheal aspirate, BAL
Container/Tube: Sterile screw-capped container
Volume: 2.0 mL
Minimum Volume: 0.5 mL
Collection Instructions:

Sputum:

• Rinse mouth with water to remove food particles.
• Collect 4 to 5 deep coughs into a sterile container.
• Do not send saliva.
• Cap container tightly, label, and send to the laboratory immediately.
• Sputum quality will be assessed with a Gram smear. Specimens heavily contaminated with oral flora will be rejected.

BAL: BAL fluid is preferred to bronchial washings for bacterial culture.
 

Please indicate if extended incubation is required when slow growing bacteria such as Nocardia, Actinomyces are suspected.

Specimen Type: Nasal swab
Container/Tube: eSwab, M40 transystem Amies agar transport media (for non-NUH patients)
Volume: 1 swab
Collection Instructions: Insert a sterile swab into the nose approximately 2.5 cm and rotate the swab against the anterior nares. Place swab in transport medium.

Please refer to eSwab Training Slides.

Specimen Type: Throat swab
Container/Tube: eSwab, M40 transystem Amies agar transport media (for non-NUH patients)
Volume: 1 swab
Collection Instructions: Sample only areas of exudate, membrane formation, inflammation or tonsillar crypts. Avoid touching the tongue or other mucous surfaces.

Please refer to eSwab Training Slides.