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Types of Wound Cultures

Wounds come in many forms: abrasions, lacerations, incisions and puncture wounds. The chance that a wound will become infected, occupied by bacteria or fungus, depends on numerous factors, including surface area, depth and location. To test a wound for infection, a wound culture is performed. A culture reveals the number and type of the organism causing the infection and can help professionals determine what, if any, treatments will be effective in killing it.

  1. Aerobic Culture

    • An aerobic culture refers to a culture conducted in the presence of oxygen. Many types of bacteria and fungi require oxygen for growth, and increasing the oxygen levels in a culture dish causes rapid proliferation and rapid identification. The dominate organism identified in the wound will undergo susceptibility testing to determine the likelihood that it will respond to treatment with antibiotics or fungicides.

    Anaerobic Culture

    • Anaerobic cultures typically are not performed unless the physician requests one. Anaerobic is the opposite of aerobic; a sample is collected, placed on the growing medium and deprived of oxygen. When growth is sufficient, it is identified and undergoes susceptibility testing to determine the appropriate course of treatment.

    Gram Stain

    • For more immediate action, a gram stain is performed. Aerobic and anaerobic testing takes hours, days or even weeks to be completed, depending upon the type of infecting organism. Sometimes, such as when life-threatening organisms are suspect, faster identification is needed. A gram stain involves smearing the bacteria or fungi onto glass slides, staining them and viewing the results under a microscope. The organisms are sorted by their characteristics, such as shape, and are subjected to biochemical testing. The results of a gram stain can be obtained within an hour.

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