Sputum

• Provide the patient with a sterile specimen container and instruct not to touch inside.
• Instruct the patient to take three to four slow deep breaths and cough forcefully upon exhalation.
• Expectorate directly into the specimen container.
• The specimen should be examined to make sure it contains at least 1ml of thick mucous. Saliva is not an adequate specimen. An early morning specimen is preferred.
• Close the lid of the container.
• Send specimen to laboratory at ambient temperature. Refrigerate if a delay of >1 hour is anticipated; freeze for molecular tests.