TAKING A WOUND SWAB

REQUIREMENTS #

A trolley containing the following:

1. Top shelf ( a Sterile field with the following sterile items)
   • Two (2) or three (3) gallipots for lotions
   • Two (2) kidney dish
   • Two (2) pairs of dressing forceps
   • Two (2) pairs of dissecting forceps
   • Sinus forceps
   • Probe
2. Bottom shelf with the following:
   • Dressing lotion
   • Sterile cotton and gauze swab in a drum/pack
   • Mackintosh and dressing towel
   • Adhesive tape/strip
   • Bandage
   • Scissors
   • Apron
   • Disposable gloves
   • Sterile gloves
   • Receiver for used dressings
3. Sterile swab in a container
4. Laboratory request form

STEPS #

1. Establish rapport (Refer to steps)
2. Explain procedure (Refer to steps)
3. Provide privacy
4. Assess for the presence of pain and manage accordingly
5. Perform hand hygiene
6. Wear mask, prepare trolley and send to patient’s bed side
7. Protect bed with mackintosh and dressing towel
8. Put on disposable gloves
9. Put patient in a desirable position for wound dressing (depending on the location of the wound)
10. Remove dressings from wound
11. Perform hand hygiene
12. Put on sterile gloves
13. Cleanse the wound thoroughly with sterile normal saline or sterile water and ensure that the peri-wound skin is cleansed
14. Use sterile gauze to remove excess saline or water from the wound surface
15. Use the swab to take the specimen from identified small area (1 cm) of clean viable tissue by rotating it for 5 seconds; while applying enough pressure to produce exudate
16. Avoid touching the wound edge or peri-wound skin with the swab
17. Immediately place the swab into the specimen tube and twist the lid closed.
18. Remove gloves and perform hand hygiene.
19. Put on clean or sterile gloves that are appropriate for the technique required to complete the dressing change (see procedure on wound dressing)
20. Assess the patient and ensure that any wound pain has been managed
21. Clean the work surface
22. Remove gloves and personal protective equipment
23. Perform hand hygiene
24. Put patient in a desirable position
25. Dispose used items, decontaminate trolley and instruments
26. Perform hand hygiene
27. Label the specimen tube and ensure swab is sent to the laboratory with signed request form as soon as possible
28. Record procedure in patient’s chart manually/electronically