Molecular characterization of carbapenem-resistant in thirteen tertiary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Carbapenems are the antibiotics of last-resort for the treatment of bacterial infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. The emergence of resistance is a critical and worrisome problem for clinicians and patients. Carbapenem-resistant (CRE) are spreading globally, are associated with an increased frequency of reported outbreaks in many regions, and are becoming endemic in many others.