Gilbert Vergara
Background and Objectives: This is a report of Gram-negative carbapenemase-producing bacteria (CPBs) in a tertiary-level private hospital in Davao City, Philippines. CPBs are placed in a high hazard level by the Centers of Diseases and Control (CDC) due to its capability of developing resistance to carbapenem antibiotics which are considered one of the last resort for many bacterial infections. Existence of such organisms will severely affect nosocomial infections and treatment modalities. This report shows the antibiotic-resistance profiles of Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Materials and Method: Collection of samples from different specimens were cultured and VITEK 2 System was used which optimizes a fluorogenic methodology for organism identification and a turbidimetric method for susceptibility testing. Results: Around 827 CPB were isolated. Among the specimen gathered, ETA displayed the highest number of isolates with A. baumannii showing the greatest predilection. For P. aeruginosa, 466 samples were identified with majority also obtained from ETA. Samples for K. pneumoniae reflected around 52 isolates with diverse sources. P. aeruginosa exhibited the highest rate of resistance among carbapenem drugs, ertapenem, imipenem, and meropenem. K. pneumoniae has the least resistance to ertapenem, imipenem, and meropenem. Conclusion: A significant number of CPBs were collected. This indicates a steady increase of antimicrobial resistance, and carbapenem-resistance has become a threat . Moreover, there exists significant species-only variance in antibiotic resistance, requiring more nuanced precautionary measures and control when handling patients who are positive for CPBs