Rapid detection of intestinal carriage of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing KPC carbapenemase during an outbreak

J Hosp Infect. 2012 Jun;81(2):119-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2012.04.004. Epub 2012 May 3.

Abstract

Two different approaches are described for rapid detection of intestinal carriage of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing KPC-type carbapenemase (KPC-KP), based on PCR amplification of DNA extracts from rectal swabs (K-PCR), and on direct plating of rectal swabs on to MacConkey agar with a meropenem disc and a meropenem plus 3-aminophenylboronic acid disc (direct KPC screening test, DKST). K-PCR and DKST were tested with a total of 101 samples from 65 patients, during an outbreak. Although less sensitive, DKST could detect high-level carriage, which appears to be common among infected and colonised patients, while being very cheap and easy to perform, and requiring only basic facilities.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carrier State / diagnosis*
  • Carrier State / epidemiology*
  • Carrier State / microbiology
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Klebsiella Infections / diagnosis*
  • Klebsiella Infections / epidemiology*
  • Klebsiella Infections / microbiology
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / enzymology*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / isolation & purification
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests / economics
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests / methods
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Time Factors
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics
  • beta-Lactamases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • beta-Lactamases
  • carbapenemase