procedure on how to take a swab

[masaya]

How do you take a swab from an infected hemodialysis catheter site?Do you clean the site with NSS before obtaining the swab?Thank you very much.

[just keep swimming]

You should not clean any site before a culture. Your company should have a policy for taking swabs. If you clean it first you risk wiping away the bacteria you are trying to culture. Swab first, then clean.

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

You should not clean any site before a culture. Your company should have a policy for taking swabs. If you clean it first you risk wiping away the bacteria you are trying to culture. Swab first, then clean.

Yup. Nessa is correct.

When obtaining a culture sample, optimally you should be looking for undisturbed exudate from the exit site.

Preferably you will dab the tip of the swab in the actual exudate, without touching the skin/catheter.

[masaya]

Thank you very very much to you Nurse Nessa and to you Guttercut.I really appreciate your response.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I worked in a hospital where you cleaned the wound before you culture it-it has been found to be a more accurate culture than not cleaning

[MikeFrance]

I agree with nessa , I usually take the swap then i clean it

[masaya]

thank you madwife and to you Mikefrance.

My regards.

[gambutrol]

In our health region we cleanse the site first before swabbing.