Rapid Detection of Carbapenemase Genes (Bla-Vim And Bla-Imp) By Multiplex Pcr in Gram-Negative Clinical Isolates

Background: Carbapenems have been the choice of antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, during recent years, carbapenems resistant bacteria have emerged significantly. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of carbapenemase (bla-VIM and bla-IMP) producing isolates among Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii.ResultsOf the total 1,151 clinical samples, 253 (22.0%) showed growth positive. Of them, 226 (89.3%) were identified as members of Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii. Among the 226 isolates, 106 (46.9%) were multidrug-resistant. Of the 106, 97 (91.5%) isolates showed resistance to at least one of the carbapenem used. Among the 97 isolates, 67 (69.1%) showed MHT positive results. bla-VIM and bla-IMP were detected in 40 and 38 isolates, respectively.ConclusionThis study determined the higher prevalence of MDR and carbapenem resistance among Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii as detected by the presence of bla-VIM and bla-IMP genes. Keywords: Carbapenems, Carbapenemase, Modified Hodge Test, bla-VIM, bla-IMP