Carbapenem resistance among enterobacteriaceae,a new challenge

Objective: to identify the commonest organism encountering carbapenem resistance among enterobacteriaceae in indoor as well as outdoor patients irrespective of age and sex at shaikh zayed hospital,lahore. study design: cross sectional analytical study. place of study: study was carried out at shaikh zayed hospital,lahore,sample size: fifty carbapenem (meropenem) resistant strains of enterobacteriaceae were included in this study. material and methods: initially 50 carbapenem (meropenem) resistant isolates of enterobacteriaceae were collected from samples received from in-door as well as out-door patients. the organisms were identified by routine laboratory tests including biochemical methods and api 20e system (biomerieux). results: largest numbers of isolates,44% (22/50),were found to be e. coli,26% (13/50) isolates were k. pneumoniae,14% (7/50) citrobacter species,12% (6/50) enterobacter species,2% (1/50) providentia rettgeri and 2% (1/50) morganella morganii (fig 1). conclusion: carbapenem resistance in enterobacteriaceae is emerging as a new challenge to health care settings as there is no drug in pipeline to treat carbapenem resistant isolates.