ABSTRACT
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 187 Stages Involved in Microbiology Progression of a Chronic Wound Infection ...... 189
Contamination Stage ......................................................................................... 189 Colonization: Reversible Adhesion ................................................................... 191 Colonization: Irreversible Adhesion .................................................................. 191 Critical Colonization ......................................................................................... 192 Infection-Local and Systemic ......................................................................... 192
Role of Microorganisms in Wound Healing .......................................................... 193 Numbers ............................................................................................................ 194
Species Diversity in Acute and Chronic Wounds ................................................... 196 Staphylococcus aureus ...................................................................................... 197 Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus .......................................................................... 197 Pseudomonas aeruginosa.................................................................................. 198
Anaerobic Bacteria ................................................................................................. 198 Community Hypothesis and Wound Infections/Healing ........................................ 198
The Role of a Community ................................................................................. 199 Unculturable Bacteria and Wounds ................................................................... 201
Sampling of a Wound .............................................................................................203 Supercial Wound Swabs ..................................................................................205 Aspirate/Tissue ..................................................................................................205 Wound Sampling Overview ..............................................................................207 Microbiological Specimen Handling for Laboratory Culture-Based Diagnostics ........................................................................................................207
Microbiological Specimen Handling for Laboratory Molecular-Based Diagnostics .............................................................................................................208 Conclusion .............................................................................................................209 References .............................................................................................................. 210
