Investigation of NDM, VIM, KPC and OXA-48 genes, blue-carba and CIM in carbapenem resistant Enterobacterales isolates.

Introduction: Carbapenem resistance is an emerging problem in Enterobactarales. We aimed to investigate the presence of carbapenemase genes blaNDM, blaKPC, blaVIM and blaOXA-48 and evaluate the phenotypic blue-carba method and carbapenem inactivation method (CIM) in Enterobacterales isolates.

Methodology: Total of 153 Enterobacterales isolates were tested in the study. Presence of blaNDM, blaKPC, blaVIM and blaOXA-48 genes was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Carbapenemase production of the isolates was also tested by blue-carba method and CIM.

Results: The presence of blaOXA-48 gene was detected in 110 (71.4%) and blaNDM gene was detected in 2 (1.3%) of the Enterobacterales isolates by PCR method. None of the isolates were positive for blaKPC and blaVIM genes. The 121 (78.54%) of the isolates were found to be positive by blue-carba method and CIM. And 105 (68.18%) of the isolates were determined as positive by both PCR, blue-carba and CIM.

Conclusions: In our study, 112 (72.7%) of the Enterobacterales isolates were found to be positive for carbapenemase genes (blaoxa-48 and blaNDM), and 121 (78.57%) of different isolates were found to be positive for blue-carba and CIM. However, 105 (68.18%) of the carbapenem resistance isolates found to be positive for all three methods.