Collection of exudates from a wound for microbiological study.
Objective:
– To obtain a sample of exudate in sufficient quantity and quality to determine the presence in the wound of pathogenic microorganisms responsible for the infectious process.
Equipment:
– Trough. – Cure trolley.
Material:
– Sterile gloves. – Disposable gloves. – Sterile swab with preservation medium. – 1 syringe. – 1 subcutaneous needle. – Physiological saline solution. – Identification label. – Laboratory request form. – Nursing records.
Procedure:
– Perform hand washing. – Prepare the material. – Preserve the patient’s privacy. – Inform the patient of the procedure. – Ask for the patient’s cooperation. – Put on disposable gloves. – Remove the external wound dressing. – Proceed to alcoholic hand disinfection. – Put on sterile gloves. – Clean the wound with saline. – Obtain the culture of the area of major exudate. Preferably aspirate with a syringe rather than brushing. – Aspirate as deep as possible into the lesion. – If the wound is dry with necrotic plaques, moisten with saline and then obtain the culture.
– Leave the patient in a comfortable position. – Remove the material. – Identify swab or syringe, and send to the laboratory with the request. – Remove gloves. – Perform hand washing. – Record in nursing documentation: procedure, date and time, incidences and patient response.
Remarks:
– The methods for obtaining a wound exudate sample are: percutaneous aspiration, smear and tissue biopsy.
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