Accuracy of in vitro susceptibility tests for carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria

Accurate susceptibility results on antibiotic-resistant bacteria are essential for proper treatment of infections. In this study, 100 metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing strains and 95 isolates with Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) were tested for carbapenem susceptibility using two automated platforms, the Phoenix and Vitek-2 systems, and a manual Etest. Phoenix showed higher categorical agreements (97% for imipenem and 94% for meropenem) compared with those from Vitek-2 (92 and 74%) and Etest (89 and 96%), respectively, when testing MBL strains. Categorical agreement for imipenem tests with KPC-producing strains was 88.4% with the Phoenix system, 83.2% with the Vitek 2 system and 90.5% with the Etest. Categorical agreement was 100% for all tests with ertapenem. In conclusion, the Phoenix system demonstrated a higher accuracy than Vitek-2 in testing carbapenemase-producing strains, particularly in MBL strains.