A licensed practical nurse (LPN) is preparing to collect an aerobic wound culture from a client's sacral pressure injury. To ensure the integrity of the diagnostic test and reduce the risk of inaccurate laboratory results, in which order should the nurse perform the following actions? (Arrange the steps in the correct chronological sequence.)
- 1Remove the existing soiled dressing and assess the appearance of the wound bed.
- 2Irrigate the wound thoroughly with sterile normal saline.
- 3Rotate a sterile culture swab over an area of viable, granulating tissue.
- 4Insert the swab directly into the sterile collection tube without touching the outer rim.
- 5Apply a new prescribed sterile dressing and document the procedure.
Answer
The correct sequence requires exposing the wound, cleansing it with sterile saline, swabbing the viable tissue, securing the specimen, and finally redressing the wound.
The correct sequence ensures that the laboratory culture identifies the specific pathogen actively causing the tissue infection, rather than identifying normal surface skin flora or dead organisms found in surface exudate. Therefore, the wound must always be irrigated with sterile normal saline BEFORE the swab is applied to viable, granulating tissue. Proper sequencing reduces the risk of misdiagnosis and inappropriate antibiotic therapy.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Diagnostic test preparation: Aerobic wound culture collection technique
Estimated Time:1m 30s