Preferred Specimen(s) 7 mL sputum or bronchial lavage/wash or tracheal lavage/wash
Instructions Collect first morning specimen for three consecutive days. Use standard tube-in-cylinder collection kit or submit in sterile, plastic container with leak-proof cap. Keep refrigerated.
Transport Container Plastic screw-cap vial
Transport Temperature Refrigerated (cold packs) 5 days
Reject Criteria Received room temperature
Methodology Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)