[Clinical evaluation of metallo-beta-lactamase producing bacterium]

The metallo-beta-lactamase producing bacterium are increasing in recent years. We characterized cases infected or colonized with blaIMP, which is metallo-beta-lactamase IMP-1 gene, positive gram-negative rods(GNRs). About half of the cases had malignant diseases as underliningg disease. When blaIMP positive GNRs were isolated, most of cases shows clinical signs of infection such as fever and elevation of C-reactive protein in serum. Most of strains were isolated from urinary samples and all patients from whom blaIMP positive bacterium were isolated from urinary samples were inserted urinary tract catheter. It was suggested that the insertion of catheters related to infection of blaIMP positive GNRs. No antibiotics were administered to several patients before the isolation of blaIMP positive GNRs although broad spectrum antibiotics such as carbapenems were administered to more than half of the patients. It is very important to prevent their dissemination in hospitals because most of blaIMP positive GNRs were isolated in same departments and showed identical pattern by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. And it is also important for treatment of the infectious disease due to blaIMP positive GNR to remove the catheter and improve general conditions of patients.