Final answer:
Proper wound culture technique involves cleansing the wound, swabbing areas with significant drainage, removing crusts or scabs, and considering the timing of antibiotic administration. An aseptic technique is essential, and subsequent lab testing will identify bacterial characteristics crucial for treatment. All the options are correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The proper technique for performing a wound culture includes several important steps to ensure accurate and useful results. These steps are:
- Cleansing the wound before obtaining the specimen to avoid contamination.
- Swabbing for the specimen in the area with the largest collection of drainage to get an adequate amount of bacterial presence.
- Removing crusts or scabs with sterile forceps before culturing to access the most viable sampling area.
- Waiting a period after antibiotic administration, if applicable, to avoid inaccurate results due to antibiotic presence.
While obtaining the specimen, the use of an aseptic technique is critical to prevent contamination. Lab testing will then allow the identification of specific bacteria, such as their shape, gram reaction, and whether they grow in clusters. Doctors can use this information to determine the appropriate treatment, which may include antibiotics, and in severe cases like gas gangrene, may require surgical intervention.