Evaluation of the Carbapenem Inactivation Method for Detection of Carbapenemase-Producing Gram-Negative Bacteria in Comparison with the RAPIDEC CARBA NP

Timely detection of carbapenemases by both phenotypic and genotypic methods is essential for developing strategies to control the spread of infections by carbapenem-resistant isolates and related morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of a commercial kit, the RAPIDEC (R) CARBA NP, and an in-house technique, the carbapenem inactivation method (CIM), against a panel of 136 carbapenemase and noncarbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. RAPIDEC CARBA NP displayed 99% sensitivity and 100% specificity, whereas the sensitivity and specificity were 78% and 100% for the CIM test, respectively. A slight modification of the CIM test, a prolonged incubation time of 4 hours instead of two, increased the sensitivity of the test to 90% by diminishing false negativity particularly for A. baumannii. In conclusion, both tests possess a high performance and are practical for the detection of carbapenemases. Although RAPIDEC CARBA NP is a more rapid and reliable method, the CIM test may represent a useful tool for microbiology laboratories due to its simplicity and availability at any laboratory with low cost.