Formal Name
Wound Culture; aerobic and/or anaerobic
This article was last reviewed on
This article waslast modified on 24 February 2020.
At a Glance
Why Get Tested?

To detect a bacterial wound infection, to determine which specific bacteria are present, and to isolate and grow the bacteria for subsequent susceptibility testing

When To Get Tested?

When your wound is hot, swollen or there is redness around the area. A sign of wound infection can also be increasing or continual pain and when the wound itself is not healing as quickly as expected.

Sample Required?

Usually a sterile swab used to collect cells or pus from the site of the suspected infection. Occasionally aspirations of fluid from deeper wounds into a syringe and/or a tissue biopsy may be required.

Test Preparation Needed?

No test preparation is needed.

On average it takes 7 working days for the blood test results to come back from the hospital, depending on the exact tests requested. Some specialist test results may take longer, if samples have to be sent to a reference (specialist) laboratory. The X-ray & scan results may take longer. If you are registered to use the online services of your local practice, you may be able to access your results online. Your GP practice will be able to provide specific details.

If the doctor wants to see you about the result(s), you will be offered an appointment. If you are concerned about your test results, you will need to arrange an appointment with your doctor so that all relevant information including age, ethnicity, health history, signs and symptoms, laboratory and other procedures (radiology, endoscopy, etc.), can be considered.

Lab Tests Online-UK is an educational website designed to provide patients and carers with information on laboratory tests used in medical care. We are not a laboratory and are unable to comment on an individual's health and treatment.

Reference ranges are dependent on many factors, including patient age, sex, sample population, and test method, and numeric test results can have different meanings in different laboratories.

For these reasons, you will not find reference ranges for the majority of tests described on this web site. The lab report containing your test results should include the relevant reference range for your test(s). Please consult your doctor or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range if you do not have the lab report.

For more information on reference ranges, please read Reference Ranges and What They Mean.

What is being tested?

A bacterial wound culture is a test that is used to detect and identify pathogenic bacteria in a potentially infected wound. Wounds may be superficial breaks in the skin such as scrapes, cuts and scratches or may involve deeper tissues such as incisions, bites, punctures or burns. Any wound may become infected with a variety of bacteria. A culture helps to determine which type or types of bacteria are causing an infection, and...

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