A nurse is obtaining an aerobic wound culture for a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Choice A rationale: While age can influence the overall prognosis and response to treatment, the location of the burn is more critical in the immediate assessment of severity.
Choice B rationale: The priority when assessing the severity of burns is the location of the burn. Burns to certain areas, such as the face, neck, or major joints, can be more critical due to the potential for complications, including impairment of breathing, vision, or mobility. Burns to these areas may require prompt intervention and closer monitoring to ensure early mitigation of the above complications
Choice C rationale: While understanding the cause is important for prevention and future education, it is not the immediate priority in assessing the severity of the current burn.
Choice D rationale: While medical history may impact the overall treatment plan, it is not the primary factor in the initial assessment of burn severity.

- A: Swabbing the wound bed is an essential step in obtaining a wound culture, but it is not the first action that should be taken. This step is performed after the wound has been cleansed to ensure that the sample is not contaminated with debris or bacteria from the surrounding skin.
- B: Cleansing the area around the wound with sterile saline is the correct first step. This action helps to remove any contaminants or debris from the wound surface, ensuring that the culture obtained is from the wound itself and not from the surrounding skin, which could lead to inaccurate results.
- C: Donning sterile gloves is a crucial step to maintain sterility during the procedure. However, it is not the first action because the nurse must first cleanse the wound area to prevent contamination of the culture specimen.
- D: Placing the collection tube in a specimen bag is done after obtaining the wound culture to transport the specimen to the laboratory. This is one of the final steps in the process, not the first.