Specimen Requirements

Optimal times for specimen collection must be based upon both the type of infectious disease process and ability of laboratory to expertly process specimens. The Microbiology Laboratory is not as well staffed during evening and late night hours. Specimens collected late in the evening often do not produce adequate growth by next morning. STAT testing is available at all times for critical tests including blood cultures, body fluid Gram stains, etc.

Specimen must arrive within 2 hours of collection.

Expectorated sputum (lower respiratory secretions) should be collected in early-morning (only 1 specimen/day will be accepted [3 single early-morning specimens if tuberculosis is suspected]) as follows:

1. Instruct patient to brush his/her teeth and/or rinse mouth well with water to minimize contaminating specimen with food particles, mouthwash, or oral drugs.

2. Have patient remove dentures.
3. Instruct patient to take a deep breath, hold it momentarily, then cough deeply and vigorously (do not spit) into a screw-capped, sterile container, collecting a minimum of 1 mL of discharged material.

Note:  1. Sputum for routine culture is evaluated by Gram stain for a predominance of oropharyngeal contamination. Specimens that are determined to be primarily oropharyngeal secretions will not be processed for routine culture.
2. Post-bronchoscopy sputum should be submitted regardless of volume.
4. Label container with patient’s name, physician’s name, date and time collected, initials of collector, and specimen source.

5. Place container in biohazard transport bag.
6. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

Note:  1. Specimen source is required on request form for processing.

2. If a cytology is requested a separate specimen must be submitted.

3. Maximum storage of specimen is 24 hours refrigerated. Specimens will not be processed if transport/storage requirements are exceeded. Overnight refrigeration of specimens is not recommended since some of the fastidious organisms that can cause these infections may become non-viable. This will be noted in the report.