Fig. 1

Measured bacterial load in procedural samples (OW, PBAL1, PSB and PBAL2). The mean bacterial load in OW samples was approximately 30 fold higher than PBAL1, 50 fold higher than PSB and, 70 fold higher than PBAL2. OW: oral wash (n = 23); PBAL1: first fraction of protected BAL from right middle lobe (n = 23); PSB: protected specimen brush from right lower lobe (n = 20); PBAL2: second fraction of protected BAL from right middle lobe (n = 23)