A practical nurse (PN) is preparing to obtain an aerobic wound culture from a client's sacral pressure injury. In what order should the PN perform the following actions? (Arrange the steps in the correct sequence from first to last.)
- 1Don clean gloves and remove the soiled dressing.
- 2Perform hand hygiene and put on new gloves.
- 3Cleanse the wound bed with sterile normal saline.
- 4Rotate the sterile swab over an area of clean, granulating tissue.
- 5Place the swab into the specimen tube without touching the outside.
Answer
The correct sequence for obtaining a wound culture is to first remove the soiled dressing, perform hand hygiene and don new gloves, cleanse the wound with normal saline, swab the granulating tissue, and finally place the swab in the collection tube.
To obtain an accurate wound culture without cross-contamination, the PN must first remove the soiled dressing and change gloves. Next, the wound is cleansed with normal saline to remove surface exudate and skin flora. The PN then swabs viable granulating tissue, where the active infection resides, before securing the swab in the sterile tube.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Proper technique for obtaining a wound culture involves cleansing the wound first to avoid culturing surface flora and swabbing only viable tissue.