A patient with an open abdominal wound has a complete blood cell (CBC) count and white blood cell (WBC) differential, which indicates a shift to the left. The nurse will anticipate that the next collaborative intervention will be to

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The shift to the left indicates that the patient probably has a bacterial infection, and the nurse will plan to obtain wound cultures and start antibiotic therapy. Wet-to-dry dressing changes may be ordered based on the characteristics of the wound, but these will be started after the wound culture and initiation of antibiotic therapy. The nurse will continue to monitor the wound, but additional actions are needed as well.

A Patient with an Open Abdominal Wound Has a Complete