A practical nurse (PN) is preparing to collect an anaerobic wound culture from a client with a deep, foul-smelling stage 4 pressure injury. To ensure a viable specimen and reduce the risk of a false laboratory result, in what chronological order should the PN perform the following actions? (Arrange the steps from first to last.)
- 1Cleanse the wound bed thoroughly with sterile normal saline.
- 2Rotate the sterile swab deep inside the tunneling tissue of the wound.
- 3Insert the swab immediately into the designated anaerobic culture tube.
- 4Crush the ampule at the base of the culture tube to activate the medium.
- 5Affix the client's identification label to the tube and document the procedure.
Answer
The correct sequence is to cleanse the wound, swab the deep tissue, insert the swab into the tube, crush the ampule, and label the specimen.
To reduce the risk of inaccurate laboratory results and improper treatment, the practical nurse must first clear away surface contaminants using normal saline. Next, because anaerobic bacteria die in the presence of oxygen, the swab must be taken from deep, tunneling tissue and immediately placed into the designated transport tube. Activating the ampule at the base is critical because it releases an oxygen-scavenging medium that preserves the anaerobes. Finally, the tube must be labeled at the bedside to ensure safe and accurate processing.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Anaerobic Specimen Collection Protocol