Before obtaining a wound culture on an infected leg ulcer, what should the nurse do first?

To effectively obtain a wound culture from an infected leg ulcer, cleaning the wound with sterile saline is essential. This step is crucial because it helps remove any debris, exudate, or organisms that may be present on the surface of the wound. By cleansing the wound with sterile saline, the nurse promotes a more accurate culture by minimizing contamination from surrounding skin flora or foreign material. This ensures that the culture reflects the organisms responsible for the infection rather than those that may have been introduced during the culture process.

Additionally, it is important for the nurse to maintain a sterile technique during this procedure to protect both the wound and the integrity of the culture sample. While other steps, such as donning sterile gloves or drying the wound, are also important in maintaining sterility and preventing infection, the priority is to cleanse the wound first, thereby ensuring the sample collected is viable and reflects the true nature of the infection. Practices like irrigating the wound with hydrogen peroxide are generally discouraged due to potential tissue irritation and damage, which does not serve the goal of obtaining a clean culture.