Parkview Laboratory: Test Directory

Surface wounds should be cleaned before collection of specimen with an alcohol swab or sterile saline.

Source Examples for this test are: Abscesses; Aspirates from deep wounds; Surgical specimens; Normally sterile body fluids.

Current antibiotic therapy, collection site and/or source all must be written on the test requisition, specimen will be processed according to site. 

Wound collection instructions

Printable instructions

Isolation and identification of clinically relevant aerobic and anaerobic organisms will be performed. 

Specimens are inoculated onto artificial growth media and incubated sufficient time to allow growth of the suspected microbe. Media type, incubation conditions and period of incubation may vary with the type of microorganism suspected.

Positive results are rendered as soon as available either as preliminary (partial) or final (complete) reports.

Negative reports are rendered when sufficient incubation time has elapsed without growth on culture media capable of supporting growth of the suspected organism.

Specimens inappropriate for anaerobic culture or received in aerobic transport media will be cultured aerobically only.