And never send a urinary catheter tip for culturing. Alternatively, you may have to suction the patient or induce the specimen Because secretions collect in the patient's chest during sleep, try to collect expectorated specimens in the early morning. Have her take several deep breaths and cough from the diaphragm. Collect 1 to 3 ml of sputum in a sterile container. Make sure you follow this procedure carefully, because if the lab technician detects a large number of epithelial cells in the specimen, he'll discard it and ask for another one.
Epithelial cells indicate saliva.
If your patient can't expectorate, you'll need to suction her or obtain an induced sputum specimen. To induce sputum specimens, consult respiratory therapy. You'll usually need to collect only a small amount of stool for culture. Transfer the stool from a bedpan to a cup using a tongue blade, making sure that no urine or menstrual discharge is mixed with the specimen. Intravascular catheter tips.