Health Promotion and Maintenance Q 69

---

Which of the following techniques is correct for obtaining a wound culture specimen from a surgical site?

  

     A. Thoroughly irrigate the wound before collecting the specimen.

     B. Use a sterile swab and wipe the crusty area around the outside of the wound.

     C. Gently roll a sterile swab from the center of the wound outward to collect drainage.

     D. Use a sterile swab to collect drainage from the dressing.

    

    

Correct Answer: C. Gently roll a sterile swab from the center of the wound outward to collect drainage.

---

Rolling a swab from the center outward is the right way to obtain a culture specimen from a wound.

---

Option A: Irrigating the wound washes away drainage, debris, and many of the colonizing or infecting microorganisms.

Option B: The outside of the wound and the dressing may be colonized with microorganisms that haven’t affected the wound, so specimens from these sites could give inaccurate results.

Option D: The dressing is considered contaminated and should not be used for collection of specimens.

---