culture of wound

Indications

• wound infection

Specimen

• purulent material or abscess contents (without contamination by normal flora)
• swab culture of wound surface exudates of no value due to inevitable contamination
• cleanse wound with normal saline, then rotate a swab over a 1 cm area with sufficient pressure to express fluid from the wound tissue beneath the wound surface; culture may reveal true pathogen
• minimum volume: 2 swabs or 0.5 mL of aspirated pus
• container:
  • sterile culturette type swab or similar transport system with a tight-fitting screw cap
  • if anaerobic cultures are obtained at the same time, send specimen in anaerobic transport device or closed syringe

Notes

• abscess contents or other fluids should be collected in a syringe when possible
• biopsy or needle aspiration more reliable than swab culture

More general terms

• culture of body fluid

More specific terms

• aerobic wound culture