Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To analyze the distribution characteristics of carbapenemase genotypes in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and evaluate the in vitro antibacterial effects of seven combined antimicrobial susceptibility testing regimens against CRE, providing experimental evidence for clinical anti-infection treatment.
METHODS A total of 88 non-repetitive adult CRE strains isolated clinically from Xinjiang 474 Hospital from Jan. 2021 to Jun. 2025 were collected. The carbapenemase genotypes were detected with a colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of polymyxin B (PB) alone and PB combined with six drugs, namely imipenem (IPM), meropenem (MEM), fosfomycin (FOS), amikacin (AK), ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tigecycline (TGC), as well as aztreonam combined with ceftazidime/avibactam (ATM+CZA), were determined with the broth microdilution checkerboard method. The fractional inhibitory concentration index (FIC) was calculated to evaluate the combined effects.
RESULTS Among the 88 CRE strains, 68.18% (60/88) were KPC-type, 30.68% (27/88) were NDM-type, and one strain was undetected. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) was predominantly KPC-type (96.55%), while carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CREC) and Enterobacter cloacae (CRECL) were predominantly NDM-type (90.00%, 80.00%, respectively). The MIC values of combined drug therapy were lower than those of single drug therapy (P < 0.05). ATM+CZA exhibited the best synergistic effect, while PB+CIP had the weakest effect. Among KPC-type strains, PB+FOS showed the highest cumulative synergistic effect, while among NDM-type strains, ATM+CZA had the highest cumulative synergistic effect. PB+IPM and PB+MEM demonstrated good additive effects in both genotypes.
CONCLUSIONS CRE mainly carries KPC and NDM-type carbapenemases, with significant differences in genotypes among different bacterial species. Combined drug therapy can effectively reduce MIC values and resistance rates. It is recommended to select individualized combined treatment regimens based on the CRE genotype.