Culture results from wound biopsy versus wound swab: does it matter for the assessment of wound infection?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether assessment of wound infection differs when culture results from wound biopsy versus wound swab are available in clinical practice.

Methods: For 180 eligible patients, a swab and biopsy were taken from one wound during a regular appointment at a wound care facility in eastern Netherlands. Culture results from both methods were supplemented with clinical information and provided to a panel of six experts who independently assessed each wound as infect or not, separately for swab and biopsy.

Wound swab and wound biopsy yield similar culture results.

The question remains whether wound swabs yield similar culture results to the traditional gold standard, biopsies. Swabs are not invasive and easy to perform. However, they are believed to capture microorganisms from the surface rather than microorganisms that have invaded tissue.

Rapid enzyme analysis as a diagnostic tool for wound infection: Comparison between clinical judgment, microbiological analysis, and enzyme analysis.

In clinical practice, diagnosis of wound infection is based on the classical clinical signs of infection. When infection is suspected, wounds are often swabbed for microbiological culturing. These methods are not accurate (clinical judgment in chronic wounds) or provide results after several days (wound swab).