Epidemiology

Drug resistance

Internal medicine

Antibiotics

Escherichia coli

Biology

Microbiology

Gene

Outbreak

Multiple drug resistance

Intensive care medicine

Virology

Carbapenem

Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae

Enterobacteriaceae

Antimicrobial

Genetics

Medicine

Antibiotic resistance

Future Science OA

Carbapenems are a class of antimicrobial agents reserved for infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. The emergence of carbapenem resistance has become a serious public health threat. This type of antimicrobial resistance is spreading at an alarming rate, resulting in major outbreaks and treatment failure of community-acquired and nosocomial infections caused by the clinically relevant carbapenem-producing Enterobacteriaceae or carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. This review is focused on carbapenem resistance, including mechanisms of resistance, history and epidemiology, phenotypic and genotypic detection in the clinically relevant bacterial pathogens and the possible treatment options available.

A Review on Bacterial Resistance to Carbapenems: epidemiology, Detection and Treatment Options