Care Manager Certification Practice Exam

What type of specimen collection technique is appropriate for wound cultures?

1. Swab with antiseptic prior to sampling.

2. Use liquid paraffin as a lubricant.

3. Collect from an area away from the wound.

4. Cleanse the wound before obtaining the specimen.

The correct answer is: Cleanse the wound before obtaining the specimen.

Collecting a wound culture is a critical procedure that helps identify the microbial population in the wound and guide appropriate treatment. Cleansing the wound before obtaining the specimen is essential for several reasons. First, cleaning the area helps to remove any loose debris, necrotic tissue, or contaminants that could interfere with the culture results. This ensures that the sample collected is more representative of the infection rather than the surrounding tissue or previous contaminants, which could lead to inaccurate results. Additionally, cleansing reduces the risk of extraneous organisms being introduced into the sample, which could complicate the interpretation of culture results. By eliminating these potential contaminants, the healthcare provider can ensure a more accurate diagnosis and optimize the patient's treatment plan. In contrast, swabbing with an antiseptic before sampling would not be appropriate as antiseptics can kill both harmful and beneficial bacteria, potentially skewing the results. Using liquid paraffin as a lubricant could obscure the presence of pathogens or affect the reliability of the culture results. Collecting from an area away from the wound would not provide an accurate representation of the wound's microbial flora, undermining the purpose of the culture itself.