Wound swab

• Using the Levine technique

Preparation

• Get the bacterial swab, dressing tray, gauze, and 100mL saline quirt bottle

Procedure

• Clean wound with saline and debride non-viable tissue if necessary (then clean again)
• Change gloves
• Moisten swab tip
• Swab centre of wound in a 1x1cm area for 5 seconds, rotating the swab and putting enough pressure to extract fluid from the tissue

Further Reading

• Comparison of chronic wound culture techniques: swab versus curetted tissue for microbial recovery. Br J Community Nurs. 2014;Suppl:S22-6.
  • Wound swab, when done well, is largely as good as tissue biopsy
• Obtaining Wound Specimens: 3 Techniques. Advances Skin Wound Care. 2004;17(2):64-65.