Using the flow chart on the DOT job aid, what is the classification of the TB Sputum sample?

Using the flow chart on the DOT job aid, what is the classification of the TB Sputum sample?

• A. Category A
• B. Exempt
• C. Category B
• D. UN3373

Answer: (C)

The flow chart distinguishes infectious substances by how the material is used and how hazardous it is. A TB sputum sample from a patient is a clinical or diagnostic specimen that may contain infectious material, but it isn’t a concentrated, high-risk culture of the etiologic agent. That means it falls into the Category B category rather than Category A, which is reserved for highly dangerous agents in more hazardous forms. So the classification is Category B. In practice, these samples are shipped as Biological Substance, Category B (UN3373), but the required answer here focuses on the classification level itself.