Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. 147 WOUND CULTURE PURPOSE: A wound culture is obtained according to a specific physician's order to identify the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in a wound or orifice. All blood and body tissues should be considered infectious and appropriate precautions practiced. RESPONSIBLE PERSONNEL: RN, LPN, PT EQUIPMENT: Gloves, gauze, sterile culturette, specimen label PROCEDURE: 1. Explain procedure to patient. 2. Screen patient. Only expose area for culture. 3. Wash hands, put on gloves. 4. Clean wound or orifice with dry sterile gauze, if needed, to remove surface exudate. 5 . Avoid touching the wound surface with hands, gloves or any other object. 6. Remove cap from culturette tube. Do not touch this cap or inner aspect of tube. 7. Remove applicator from tube. 8. Using a rolling motion, culture the wound by moving the applicator outward from the core of the wound. 9. Swab the clean, granulating tissue, NOT the purulent drainage. DO NOT swab over hard eschar. 10. Avoid touching and swabbing the wound margins and periwound skin surface. 11. Carefully replace applicator in tube. Do not touch edge or outside of container. If contamination occurs, close container and wipe exterior surface of container with antiseptic solution (alcohol wipe). Discard and recollect specimen. 12. Crush ampule by squeezing bottom of culturette. 13. Label the specimen properly and place in plastic bag. 14. Remove gloves and wash hands. DOCUMENTATION: Document the procedure and the area cultured on the Clinical Visit Note. Document laboratory in which specimen is delivered. If further action is indicated, document follow-up/notification of Clinical Manager and/or physician. Wound photograph may be indicated. ____________________________________________________