ABSTRACT
Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been highly associated with carbapenem resistance in which carbapenemases has been suggested to be a major contributory factor. Hence the objective of this study was to phenotypically detect KPC-type carbapenemase, metallo-ß-lactamase and OXA-48 carbapenemase production in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Nigeria Methodology: One hundred and seventy-one P. aeruginosa isolates consecutively recovered from clinical specimens of patients with infections at the Medical Microbiology and Parasitology laboratory of the hospital were identified using MicrobactTM 24E kit. Preliminary screening for carbapenem resistance was determined by the disc diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar using single discs of meropenem and imipenem. Phenotypic detection of carbapenemase production among carbapenem-resistant isolates was performed by the combination disc test of meropenem-phenylboronic acid (MRPBO) and meropenem-dipicolinic acid (MRPDP) as recommended by EUCAST 2013 guideline. Results: Out of the 171 P. aeruginosa isolates, 35 (20.5%) were carbapenem non-susceptible (resistant) while carbapenemase production was detected in 27 (77.1%) of these carbapenem resistant isolates, and no enzyme was detected in 8 (22.9%). Of the 27 carbapenemase producing isolates, 22 (81.5%) produced MBL, 1 (3.7%) produced KPC, while 4 (14.8%) produced both KPC and MBL enzymes. Conclusion: This study revealed that carbapenem resistance among P. aeruginosa clinical isolates in our institution is gradually increasing. The mechanism for this rise is associated with carbapenemases, with MBL being the major carbapenemase involved. There is the need to ensure strict compliance with the LUTH infection control guidelines in order to check the rising incidence of infection caused by carbapenem resistant P. aeruginosa