Pretend that you are clinical microbiologist working at a 350-bed community hospital. You have received a sputum specimen in a sterile container that has approximately 18 ml of sputum that contains very few squamous epithelial cells per 100x (high powered field) of the patient's sample. However there were many white blood cells (WBCs). Another similar sample was sent to the TB laboratory for a diagnostic workup.
Using the Internet or an authoritative microbiology textbook or laboratory manual describe in 300 to 500 words exactly which media would you use to inoculate a portion of the specimen and under what conditions would you incubate such as specimen and for how long. Assuming that you isolated large amounts of Streptococcus pnuemoniae describe how they would appear under the microscope following the Gram stain. Describe how the organism would appear on the various media. What would you do to confirm and identify Streptococcus pnuemoniae?
Alternatively, you may, if you wish, describe how you would isolate and identify another bacterial respiratory pathogen such as Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Group A beta hemolytic Streptococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Klebsiella pnuemoniae.
Note. Include at least two quality references. Any references used should be properly cited following APA formatting guidelines.