Archives of the Balkan Medical Union, vol.56, no.2, pp.142-149, 2021 (Scopus)
Introduction. Carbapenems have been the ultimate antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, recently, carbapenems-resistant bacteria have emerged significantly. The objective of the study was the identification of ESKAPEEc bacteria and rapid detection of carbapenemase production. Materials and methods. We tried a novel rapid test methodology that detects some carbohydrates metabolization associated with bacterial growth in the presence of imipenem. The formation of acid metabolites is evidenced by a color change of a pH indicator. Results. Carbapenemase production is phenotypically demonstrated in carbapenem-resistant bacterial strains. In the study, carbapenemase production was detected within 3 hours, and identification of ESKAPEEc bacteria was completed within 4 hours by carbohydrate metabolism. Conclusions. In conclusion, our cost-effective technique may provide a practical solution for the determination of multi-drug resistance by using the fermentation metabolism in bacteria.