wound culture and sensitivity (C&S), a microscopic examination done to determine the presence of pathogens in patients with suspected wound infections, which are most often caused by pus-forming organisms. Most organisms require approximately 24 hours to grow in the laboratory, but when antibiotic therapy needs to be instituted before lab results are available, Gram’s stain of the specimen smeared on a slide can be reported in less than 10 minutes to help determine the organism’s possible identity and decide on an appropriate antibiotic treatment.
