Atopic Dermatitis: Infected - Practical Guidelines to Obtain Skin Cultures
Aerobic Culture
- Perform hand hygiene.
- Obtain e-swab.
- If needed, gently clean affected site with sterile saline on sterile 4x4 gauze pad. Avoid using alcohol to clean specimen site.
- May apply sterile saline on end of e-swab if needed to increase yield from site.
- Gently rub drainage, crusted (infected) area with sterile e-swab.
- Place in e-swab sterile container.
- Apply patient label and send to lab.
- Perform hand hygiene.
- Ensure aerobic culture order is placed.
Viral Culture
- Perform hand hygiene.
- Obtain viral culture medium (refrigerated).
- Obtain sterile cotton swab (Q-tip).
- Apply sterile saline to tip of sterile cotton swab (Q-tip).
- Choose monomorphic erosions or vesicles. Firmly scrub within affected area, preferably rupturing open vesicles if possible, to obtain viral culture. If vesicles are not present, may swab erosions.
- Place sterile cotton swab in viral culture medium.
- Apply patient label and send to lab.
- Perform hand hygiene.
- Ensure viral culture other order is placed.
*Consider HSV 1/2 PCR only if rapid results are needed or patient is already on anti-viral therapy. “HSV PCR” testing is more expensive than “Viral culture.”
These pathways do not establish a standard of care to be followed in every case. It is recognized that each case is different, and those individuals involved in providing health care are expected to use their judgment in determining what is in the best interests of the patient based on the circumstances existing at the time. It is impossible to anticipate all possible situations that may exist and to prepare a pathway for each. Accordingly, these pathways should guide care with the understanding that departures from them may be required at times.
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