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Superficial wound culture (Edmonton/Central/North)
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Test Name:
Superficial wound culture (Edmonton/Central/North)
Ordering Information:
Superficial wound culture, multiple body sites
Organism(s)/Disease(s):
Balanitis
Boil
Cellulitis
Erysipelas (Streptococcal infection)
Erysipeloid
Folliculitis
Furunculosis
Impetigo
Pyoderma
Rash
Soft tissue infection
Sores
Ulcer.
Yeast infection
Body Source(s):
Multiple body sites
Clinical Prerequisite(s):
Provision of relevant clinical information is important to ensure a clinically relevant result

  • State specimen source
  • State current antibiotic therapy, start date, route, and dose
  • Provide clinical history.  State symptoms and start date
  • Provide travel history
  • Presence of local symptoms/signs of acutely infected wound? (e.g. pain, erythema, edema, heat, purulence)
  • Presence of chronically infected wounds? (e.g. friable granulation tissue, wound breakdown, increasing pain and foul odour)
  • Are there any local predisposing factors? (e.g. skin ulcer, traumatic injury, surgical wound site, presence of foreign body, animal bites, burn wounds, frost bite)
  • Presence of systemic symptoms/signs? (e.g. fevers, chills, rigors)
  • Are there any underlying conditions which may predispose to more severe infection? (e.g. diabetes, steroid, immunosuppressive therapy, malignancy, HIV)

    • Note:
    - A swab is not the specimen of choice for skin and soft tissue infections.  Submit tissue, fluid or aspirate when possible.


    Collection Device/Tube Type:
    eSwab collection device
    Swab in clear transport media
    Collection Instructions:

    1.

    Remove superficial debris by thorough irrigation and cleansing with sterile saline

    2.

    If wound is relatively dry, collect with 2 sterile swabs (preferably Dacron) moistened with sterile saline

    3.

    Gently roll swab over the surface of the wound approximately 5 times, focusing on the area where there is evidence of pus or inflamed tissue

    4.

    Carefully place swab back into the collection device without contaminating it

    Handling and Storage:
    Refrigerate
    Handling/Storage Comments:
    Submit to laboratory as soon as possible after collection
    Rejection Criteria:
  • Mislabelled or unlabelled specimen/requisition
  • No swab in collection device
    • Turnaround Times
    See Microbiology Information»
    Comments:
    Superficial specimens are cultured aerobically only

    Last Reviewed:
    22 April 2021
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