
If nothing significant grows, the culture is called "negative." If a germ that can cause infection grows, the culture is "positive." There, it will be observed to see if any germs grow.Ī technician will report the results to your child's doctor, who will review the results with you. The person who did the test will place the culture sample in a special container and send it to a laboratory. What Happens After a Wound Drainage Culture? If the procedure is more complex or your child received medicine to sleep through it, you might need to stay in the waiting room. If the text is simple, with your child fully awake, you can stay with your child. Can I Stay With My Child During a Wound Drainage Culture? They will clean and bandage the wound or cut after they have taken the culture.
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The skin over an abscess might need to be cut to reach the pus inside. If the wound is closed, they can withdraw fluid or pus from the wound with a syringe and a small needle. If the wound is open, they can press the tip of a cotton swab into the wound and gently rotate it to collect a sample. They will then take a sample of the drainage to send it for culture in one of several ways: They may place numbing cream over the skin about 30 minutes before the procedure, or give medication by mouth or through a vein if they want the child to sleep during the procedure. How Is a Wound Drainage Culture Done?Ī doctor or nurse will clean the surface of the wound and the surrounding skin. It's important for kids to stay still during the test. You can help prepare your child for a wound drainage culture by explaining that the test will be quick. But tell the doctor about any antibiotics or other medicine your child is taking or has taken recently, as this can affect the results. You don't have to do anything special to prepare your child for a wound drainage culture. How Should We Prepare for a Wound Drainage Culture? Wound infections can also cause a fever and a general ill feeling, especially if the infection spreads or has been present for a while. This helps doctors choose the best treatment.Ī doctor might think there's an infection if there is pain, swelling, warmth, or redness around the wound, or if the drainage looks like pus. If it is, the culture can show what type of germ caused the infection. Wound drainage cultures can show if a wound is infected. When fluid seeps from a wound, it is called wound drainage.
An infected wound can produce a yellowish, bad-smelling fluid called pus. But it can still become infected with germs and may develop into an abscess.Ī wound that's healing can produce a clear or pink fluid. A closed wound is when the injured area is under the skin and not exposed to the air.A surgical incision (cut) is also a type of an open wound. An open wound, in which the skin has been torn, cut, or punctured, can happen from things such as falls, bites, or burns.A wound drainage culture is a test that finds germs such as