Specimen Requirements

Wound material that has been collected with a swab is acceptable for bacterial culture, but is not optimal for fungal or mycobacterial culture. Swab can be processed for mycobacteria and fungus, but only if it is difficult to obtain drainage or tissue material directly.

 

Specimen source is required.

 

Patient Preparation:
1. Wash hands and don (put on) gloves (gown if necessary).
2. Remove soiled dressings and discard in plastic bag.
3. Remove and discard gloves.
4. Clean wound and surrounding skin with normal saline.

 

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

 

Specimen Type: Wound

Container/Tube: CultureSwab Collection and Transport System or Anaerobic Swab Culture (using anaerobic BBL Vacutainer)

Specimen Volume: Swab

Collection Instructions:

1. Remove swab from culture tube, taking care not to touch swab or inside of tube.
2. Swab wound area 1 to 2 cm with sufficient pressure to obtain wound fluid. Do not swab necrotic tissue, yellow eschar, or skin surface. Care must be taken to swab wound instead of edges to prevent cross contamination by skin flora and contaminated debris.
3. Carefully place swab into culture tube without touching swab inside, outside, or top of container.
4. Gently push down until swab is saturated with medium (approximately at point where actuation mark on tube is just covered by cap), and close securely.

5. Label tube with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

6. Do not use Vacutainer if there is any trace of color in tube. Color in tube means that anaerobic and sterile conditions have not been maintained.

7. As with other cultures, administration of antibiotics prior to culture may make recovery of pathogens difficult to impossible.

8. Rejection criteria include a delay in transport of >24 hours at ambient temperature, or unsterile container.

Additional Information: If collecting a specimen for anaerobic culture, order #CWNDAERANA for anaerobes.

 

Specimen Type: Wound aspirate

Container/Tube: Syringe

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Collect specimen from deep and active part of wound. Aspirate purulent material from depth of wound with a sterile needle and syringe.
2. Remove needle and place a rubber stopper on syringe. Do not send needle on syringe.

3. Wound material aspirated with a syringe is acceptable for bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal or viral culture, as long as needle has been removed.

4. Label syringe with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

5. As with other cultures, administration of antibiotics prior to culture may make recovery of pathogens difficult to impossible.

6. Rejection criteria include a delay in transport of >24 hours at ambient temperature, unsterile container, or syringe with needle attached.