A nurse suspects infection in a postoperative patient after observing purulent drainage from the surgical site. What is the priority nursing action?

Postoperative wound infection involves bacterial colonization of surgical tissue, triggering a localized inflammatory response with neutrophil infiltration, tissue breakdown, and purulent exudate formation. Purulent drainage indicates active infection requiring organism identification for targeted antimicrobial therapy and prevention of systemic spread. Rationale: A. Notifying the healthcare provider and collecting a wound culture is the priority action to identify the causative organism and guide appropriate antibiotic therapy. Early culture before antibiotic administration ensures accurate microbiological diagnosis and prevents progression to systemic infection. B. Increasing monitoring frequency for fever is important for surveillance but does not address the confirmed sign of infection. Observation alone delays definitive diagnosis and treatment, allowing potential worsening of the infection. C. Administering antibiotics immediately without obtaining a culture may compromise organism identification and lead to inappropriate or broad-spectrum therapy. Culture should be obtained first unless the patient is septic or unstable. D. Cleaning and dressing the wound addresses local wound care, but does not manage the underlying infectious process. It is supportive care and not sufficient as the priority intervention when infection is suspected.