Detection of Carbapenem Resistance Using the Genotypic and Phenotypic Methods in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Aim: This study aimed to detect the carbapenem resistance of the Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, isolated from clinical specimens with genotypic and phenotypic methods. Material and Methods: A total of 87 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains whose carbapenem resistance was determined by disc diffusion method were included in the study. Carbapenemase was investigated using the combined disk method and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: The evaluation of the PCR results demonstrated that OXA was detected in 60 (68.9%) samples, NDM was detected in 20 (22.9%), OXA + NDM in 5 (5.7%), and KPC was detected in 1 (1.1%) out of 87 clinical samples. Carbapenemase was not detected in one specimen with the PCR method. The results were found compatible with the combined disc test results for all isolates which were detected as only OXA, NDM, and KPC type carbapenemase positive. In 5 (5.7%) strains in which the co -existence of NDM and OXA type carbapenemases was detected by PCR, the combined disc method detected only OXA type carbapenemase. Conclusion: The combined disk method is inadequate in the presence of strains that have multiple carbapenemases, and also have OXA which is the most frequently detected carbapenemase in our hospital. EUCAST recommends verification by other methods in the presence of OXA-48. Genotypic methods can be used for confirmation testing. The detections of strains with NDM, multiple carbapenemases, and the first detection of KPC were striking in the study. Monitoring the spread of these strains in the hospital will be necessary for infection control.