Rapid detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae from blood cultures

Abstract The biochemical-based Carba NP test has been evaluated to detect carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae ( n = 193) directly from spiked blood cultures. It was able to rapidly detect KPC ( n = 50), IMP ( n = 27), VIM ( n = 37), NDM ( n = 33) and OXA-48-like producers ( n = 46) with sensitivity and specificity of 97.9% and 100%, respectively. This cost-effective technique may be implemented in any microbiology laboratory and offers a reliable test for an early identification of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae directly from blood culture that could be useful for the management of infected patients.