The Royal Marsden Hospital Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures - Lisa Dougherty [427]
3 Wash hands with bactericidal soap and water, or decontaminate physically clean hands with alcohol-based handrub. Don apron and gloves. To reduce the risk of cross-infection and specimen contamination (DH 2007a, C).
Procedure
4 Pass the swab, with care, through the anus into the rectum and rotate gently. To avoid trauma and to ensure that a rectal, not an anal, sample is obtained. E
5 If specimen is for suspected threadworm: take swab from the perianal area. Threadworms lay their ova on the perianal skin (Mims 2004, E).
Postprocedure
6 Remove cap from plastic transport tube. To avoid contamination of the swab (HPA 2008a, C).
7 Carefully place swab into plastic transport tube, ensuring it is fully immersed in the transport medium. Ensure cap is firmly secured. To avoid contamination of the swab and to maintain viability of the sampled material during transportation (Ferguson 2005, E).
8 Remove gloves and apron and wash/decontaminate hands. To reduce risk of cross-infection (DH 2006, C).
9 Complete microbiology request form (including relevant information such as exact site, nature of specimen and investigation required). To maintain accurate records and provide accurate information for laboratory analysis (NMC 2009, C; Weston 2008, E).
10 Arrange prompt delivery to the microbiology laboratory. To increase the chance of accurate organism identification and to ensure the best possible conditions for laboratory analysis (Higgins 2007, C).
Procedure guideline 11.7 Swab sampling: penis
Essential equipment
Gloves
Apron
Sterile bacterial or viral swab (with transport medium)
Appropriate documentation/form
Preprocedure
Action Rationale
1 Explain and discuss the procedure with the patient. To ensure the patient understands the procedure and gives valid consent (NMC 2008b, C).
2 Wash hands with bactericidal soap and water, or decontaminate physically clean hands with alcohol-based handrub. Don apron and gloves. To reduce the risk of cross-infection and specimen contamination (DH 2007a, C).
Procedure
3 The patient should not have passed urine for at least 1 hour. To ensure a representative sample from the area being swabbed (HPA 2004, C).
4 Retract prepuce. To obtain maximum visibility of area to be swabbed. E
5 Pass the swab gently through the urethral meatus and rotate gently. To collect a specimen of discharge or secretions. E
Postprocedure
6 Remove cap from plastic transport tube. To avoid contamination of the swab (HPA 2008a, C).
7 Carefully place swab into plastic transport tube, ensuring it is fully immersed in the transport medium. Ensure cap is firmly secured. To avoid contamination of the swab and to maintain viability of the sampled material during transportation (Ferguson 2005, E).
8 Remove gloves and apron and wash/decontaminate hands. To reduce risk of cross-infection (DH 2006, C).
9 Complete microbiology request form (including relevant information such as exact site, nature of specimen and investigation required). To maintain accurate records and provide accurate information for laboratory analysis (NMC 2009, C; Weston 2008, E).
10 Arrange prompt delivery to the microbiology laboratory (within 4 hours). To increase the chance of accurate organism identification and to ensure the best possible conditions for laboratory analysis (Higgins 2007, C).
Procedure guideline 11.9 Swab sampling: skin
Essential equipment
Gloves
Apron
Sterile bacterial or viral swab (with transport medium)
Appropriate documentation/form
Preprocedure
Action Rationale
1 Explain and discuss the procedure with the patient. To ensure the patient understands the procedure and gives valid consent (NMC 2008b, C).
2 Wash hands with bactericidal soap and water, or decontaminate physically clean hands with alcohol-based handrub. Don apron and gloves. To reduce the risk of cross-infection and specimen contamination (DH 2007a, C).
Procedure
3 For cutaneous sampling (for screening, for example groin): moisten swab with sterile saline and roll one swab along the area of skin along