Carbapenemase intrudes K. pneumoniae in local clinical isolates

ABSTRACT

To determine the sensitivity pattern of the isolates under study against commonly used antimicrobials. The study was carried out at the Department of Microbiology, University of Health Sciences Lahore. Two hundred Clinical isolates [n=200] of Enterobacteriaceae were collected from various tertiary care hospitals of Lahore. The isolates were identified by their morphology and cultural characteristics. API 20E was used for their biochemical profile. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was employed for their susceptibility according to CLSI 2009 guidelines. Modified Hodge Test was used for testing carbapenemase production. Further confirmation was done using EDTA disk potentiation method. Susceptibility pattern of two hundred isolates showed multidrug resistance pattern. All the isolates showed least resistance to Imipenem and Meropenem [0.5%] followed by Amikacin [24%] and Tetracycline [61%]. Only one strain of K. pneumoniae was found to be resistant to carbapenems and it was confirmed to be carbapenemase producer by Modified Hodge Test, and metallo [3-lactamase producer by EDTA disk potentiation method. Carbapenemase has intruded local isolates of K. pnuemoniae. It can result in outbreak of carbapenem resistant strains as it can spread through vertical as well as horizontal transmission. The carbapenem resistant isolates must be contained in order to prevent its further spread among other members of Enterobacteriaceae and other bacteria