Table 1.

Definition of different sampling methods for bacterial cultures (7–12).

Method	Definition
Bronchoalveolar lavage	Fluid squirted into and recollected from the lungs during bronchoscopy
Cough swab	Swab placed into the posterior pharynx, without direct contact with the oropharyngeal mucosa, and asking the patient to cough
Induced cough swab or Induced sputum sample	Cough swab or sputum sample obtained following inhalation of hypertonic saline
Nasal suctioning	Suctioning of the nasal cavity
Nasal swab	Swab of the nasopharyngeal wall
Oropharyngeal suctioning	Suctioning of the oropharynx
Oropharyngeal swab or Throat swab	Swab of the posterior oropharyngeal wall
Expectorated sputum sample	Spontaneous expectoration of sputum