Wound Culture

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Category: Microbes and parasites.
Subcategory: Cultures for bacteria and viruses.
Material studied: Exudate from an infected wound.
Estimated cost of test: $11.00.
Patient time for test: 3-5 minutes.
Reliability of test results: Good.
Available as home self-test? No.

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BEFORE THE TEST

Purpose of test:

• Identifies whether a wound is infected.

Where is test performed?

• Commercial laboratory, hospital, doctor's office.

Who performs test?

• Lab technician, nurse, doctor.

Risks and precautions:

• None.

Patient preparation:

• Activity - No changes necessary.
• Diet - No changes necessary.
• Medicines - Inform the person performing the test if you have recently taken any medications listed under Taking these drugs may affect test results. You may be asked not to take this medication before the test.
• Disrobing - None required.

THE TEST

Sensory factors:

• Touching - There will be only slight discomfort when the fluid from the wound is swabbed.
• Smelling - If the wound has been bandaged, it may smell foul when the bandage is removed.
• Feeling - Some degree of apprehension or fear is normal and should be expected. Discomfort disappears when the test is finished.
• Other senses (seeing, hearing, taste) - Not affected.

Equipment used:

• Sterile cotton swabs.
• Syringe with needle.
• Sterile gloves.
• Alcohol sponges.
• Sterile gauze.
• Iodine solution.
• Sterile culture tube.

Description of test:

• Wound is pressed.
• Fluid expressed from wound is swabbed with sterile cotton swab.
• Swab can also be inserted into the wound and rotated.
• The difference between aerobic and anaerobic cultures depends on how the material from the wound is handled in the laboratory. See Test values.
• Fluid from wound is sent to laboratory for analysis.

AFTER THE TEST

Immediate post-test care:

• The wound is re-dressed.

Activity after test:

• Resume taking any medications that were withheld before the test.
• Return to pretest activities right away.

Time before test results available:

• 3 or more days.

TEST RESULTS

Test values:

• Test results are determined by aerobic and anaerobic culture.
• Aerobic culture - Wound specimen requires oxygen to grow.
• Anaerobic culture - Bacteria can only grow in an oxygen-free environment.

Normal values:

• No growth of germs that cause infection.

What ABNORMAL may indicate:

• Staphylococcus aureus.
• Group-A beta-hemolytic streptococci.
• Escherichia coli.
• Group-D streptococci, including enterococci and streptococcus bovis and some pseudomonas species.
• The most common anaerobic germs include some clostridium, proteus and bacteroides species.

Taking these drugs may affect test results:

• Antibiotics.

Other factors that may affect test results:

• Contamination of specimen if not collected properly.

From the Complete Guide to Medical Tests by H. Winter Griffith, M.D. © 1988 by Fisher Books; electronic rights by Medical Data Exchange.