Specimen Requirements

Specimen Type: Sputum

Collection Container/Tube: Sterile screw-capped container

Specimen Volume: Entire specimen

Specimen Minimum Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Patient should not have eaten prior to specimen collection.

2. The specimen should be a single, first-morning, “deep-cough” sputum specimen with minimal contamination of saliva.

3. Instruct patient to brush his/her teeth and/or rinse mouth well with water.

4. Have patient remove dentures.

5. Instruct patient to take a deep breath, hold it momentarily, and cough deeply and vigorously into the container.

6. Label container with patient’s name, second unique identifier (e.g. medical record number or date of birth), date and time of collection.

7. Specimen source is required.

8. Sample should be refrigerated and returned to the lab within 24 hours. 

Rejected: 

Poor quality samples determined by gram stain will be cancelled