Phenotypic detection of carbapenem resistance among Escherichia coli and Klebsiella isolates obtained from various clinical samples

Acquired resistance to carbapenems mediated by carbapenemases in gram-negative pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella has become worldwide. Its detection is of utmost importance in deciding the most appropriate therapeutic regimen and for this we require a simple and inexpensive testing method. A total of 250 isolates which included Escherichia coli (113) and Klebsiella spp (137) were screened for meropenem resistance by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.