Culture, Wound

If positive, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility will be performed at an additional charge. For diagnostic purposes, clinical specimens should be collected before the initiation of therapy since even a few days of treatment may render the culture negative. Day(s) Test Set Up: Monday through Sunday

WCUL

Aspirate

Submit one of the following specimens: Preferred: Aspirate 1. Prepare site: wash wound margins well with surgical soap followed by 70% alcohol. 2. Aspirate deepest portion of lesion or sinus with sterile needle and syringe or catheter. 3. Place aspirate into a screw-capped, sterile container. Note: Specimen source is required on request form for processing. Alternate: Swab 1. Prepare site: wash wound margins well with surgical soap followed by 70% alcohol. 2. Obtain specimen using a culture swab. Pass swab into fresh purulent drainage from center of wound, avoiding surrounding skin. It may be necessary either to separate wound margins with thumb and forefinger of 1 hand (wearing sterile glove) or make a small laceration in a closed abscess before extending the tip of swab deeply into wound with other hand. 3. Place swab in a sterile culture transport tube. Note: Specimen source is required on request form for processing.

Sterile leakproof container 
Swab specimens are acceptable, but not perferred

Refrigerate

Negative

Useful for the detection of potential aerobic pathogens isolated from abscesses, decubitus, exudates, lesions, prosthesis and/or skin.