An appropriate technique for the nurse to implement when obtaining throat cultures is to:

A) have the patient lie flat in the bed.
B) do the culture before meals or an hour after meals.
C) avoid touching the swab to any of the inflamed areas.
D) place pressure on the tongue blade along the back of the tongue.

Plan to do the culture before mealtime or at least 1 hour after eating.This procedure often induces gagging;timing will decrease the patient's chances of vomiting.Ask the patient to sit erect in bed or on a chair facing the nurse.Gently but quickly swab the tonsillar area from side to side,making contact with inflamed or purulent sites.Depress the anterior third of the tongue only;placement of a tongue blade along the back of the tongue is more likely to initiate a gag reflex.