Rapid detection of bla _KPC -positive Klebsiella pneumoniae in a clinical setting

Excerpt

Early detection and institution of adequate antibiotic treatment have been shown to be of major importance in determining the outcome of patients with systemic infections [1]. Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) ranks second in the list of causes of Gram-negative sepsis at our medical center. Forty-five percent of the isolates display an extended spectrum β-lactamase producer (ESBL) phenotype, necessitating administration of broad spectrum antibiotics. Starting in January 2006, the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant (CR) KP isolates increased significantly. Similar trends have been recorded worldwide [2]. Molecular diagnosis has recently been recognized as an important diagnostic tool for the rapid detection and identification of pathogenic organisms in clinical samples, and is also increasingly utilized to detect antimicrobial-resistance genes in various micro-organisms [3]. The aim of the present study was to establish a rapid and reliable PCR-based assay aimed at detecting CR-KP DNA in order to reduce the interval between specimen sampling and initiation of pathogen-targeted antibiotic treatment, and thereby to improve the management of KP-CR outbreaks. …