Wound Pathogen Testing
Identifying the Infecting Pathogen
Wound pathogen testing, also called bacterial wound culture or wound culture, determines if a wound is infected and what pathogens can impact the wound’s healing ability. This allows a provider to prescribe the most effective wound treatment.
FAQs
Price for Wound Panel: $159
A bacterial wound culture can identify the type of bacteria infecting a wound. It is used to determine if a wound is infected and what type of an antibiotic is needed to treat the wound.
A bacterial wound culture called a wound pathogen panel is needed for a non-bleeding wound. Your provider will want to determine if it is infected with bacteria and what type of bacteria infect the wound because different bacteria respond to various antibiotics and ways of giving antibiotics.
The test typically requires gathering a sample with a cotton swab. We use PCR testing (polymerase chain reaction) for all our in-house testing. This is a type of molecular testing that delivers an accuracy of greater than 99%. It can identify the specific pathogen infecting the wound to determine the most effective treatment.
