ABSTRACT

This chapter is primarily concerned with the ‘wound swab’ collected from the chronic leg ulcer. The key points here are: 1. Knowing when to swab an ulcer. 2. How to swab an ulcer. 3. Interpreting the laboratory report. Figure 86 highlight these points, and with the Quick Action Guides can be used as a training tool to highlight the critical steps in the collection of a swab from an ulcer.1 The principles that are discussed here apply to taking a swab from postsurgical wounds.