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Wound Culture

Specimen Type:

 

also known as Wound or Drainage Culture, Wound  Culture, Drainage Culture

Other

MICROBIOLOGY

Specimen requirements:

Sterile BBL CultureSwab Plus (in Microbiology Lab)

 

or: Sterile Tube

Unit of measure:

N/A

Ideal sample:

2 Swabs / Tube or Syringe with 1.0 mL of fluid

Absolute minimum amount:

1 swab/ tube or syringe with 0.5 mL of fluid.

Method of collection:

Pus properly obtained from an abscess with swabs or syringe

Transportation:

Deliver to lab as soon as possible. (1-3 hours), if delay, keep at room temperature.

Label instructions:

Tubes, cups or syringes must be labeled with patient name and Medical Record number.

Request test on form:

Multi Labs/Micro/Viro/Serology ( 151-905 )

Order/entry screen(s):

Microbiology/Virology

Stat frequency:

N/A

Stat turn around time:

N/A

Routine frequency:

Daily

Must be in by:

N/A

Routine turn around time:

24 hrs for prelim/ 48-96 hrs for final

For Hillcrest deliver to:

Microbiology : Room 2-109

For Thornton deliver to:

Microbiology : Processing Desk, 1st floor,

 

Hospital, room 1-013

Scheduling requirements :

N/A

Method:

N/A

Special Instructions:

Obtain transport media (BBL CultureSwab Plus Collection and Transport System) from Microbiology Laboratory.

Specimen collection should occur prior to initiation of therapy and only from wounds that are clinically infected, deteriorating or fail to heal over a long period.

Cleanse skin or mucosal surfaces.

For closed wounds and aspirates, disinfect as for a blood culture collection with 2% chlorhexidine or 70% alcohol followed by iodine solution.  Remove iodine with alcohol prior to specimen collection.

Sample infected tissue, not superficial debris.

Avoid swab collection if aspirates or biopsy samples can be obtained.

Closed Ascesses:

Aspirate infected material with needle and syringe.  If initial aspiration fails to obtain material, inject sterile, nonbacteriostatic saline subcutaneously.  Repeat the aspiration attempt.  Expel aspirated contents into a sterile blood collection tube without anticoagulant.

Fine Needle Aspirates:

Insert the needle into the tissue using various directions, if possible.  If the volume of aspirate is large, expel the contents into a sterile blood collection tube without anticoagulant.  If the volume is small, place a small amount of sterile saline in a sterile tube and aspirate up and down with a syringe and expel into sterile tube.

Open Wounds:

Cleanse the area with sterile saline, remove overlying debris with scalpel and swabs or sponges.  Collect by biopsy or curette sample from the base or advancing margin of lesion.

Pus:

Aspirate the deepest portion of the lesion or exudate with a syringe and needle.  Expel into sterile tube. Collect biopsy sample of the advancing margin or base of the infected lesion after excision and drainage.  For bite wounds, aspirate pus from the wound or obtain it at the time of incision, drainage or debridement of infected wound.  Expel into sterile tube.

Tissue and Biopsy Samples:

Collect sufficient tissue avoiding necrotic areas.  Collect 3-4 mm biopsy samples.  Place tissue in sterile container.

Collect swabs ONLY WHEN TISSUE OR ASPIRATE CANNOT BE OBTAINED.

Always collect two swabs.

 

Results are available on a Chart Copy

 

Results are Qualitative

SOFT LAB abbreviation:

CXBS

Secondary code:

N/A

Lab Processing Instructions:

N/A