ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Research Article | Open Access
Rohit Kumar1, Narinder Kaur1, Harit Kumar1 , Bimal Kumar Agrawal2, Rosy Bala1, Shubham Chauhan1 and Sahil Kumar3
1Department of Microbiology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University, Mullana, Haryana, India.
2Department of General Medicine, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University, Mullana, Haryana, India.
3Department of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University, Mullana, Haryana, India.
Article Number: 10990 | © The Author(s). 2026
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2026;20(1):260-269. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.20.1.11
Received: 24 September 2025 | Accepted: 24 November 2025 | Published online: 30 January 2026
Issue online: March 2026
Abstract

Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP), listed in the WHO 2024 priority, hydrolyzes β-lactam antibiotics, especially carbapenems, posing a significant challenge. Carbapenems are the last resort antibiotics for severe Gram-negative infections and are associated with increased mortality in ICUs and IPDs. This cross-sectional study at a tertiary hospital (April 2023-December 2024) included 375 multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae isolates with ertapenem MIC ≥8 µg/mL. Carbapenemase genes were detected via conventional PCR. Bivariate analysis examined clinical correlations, while MIC50/90 assessed resistance. The most common carbapenemase genes were blaNDM (48.26%) and blaOXA-48 (37.86%), followed by blaKPC (13.6%). Co-occurrence of genes was also reported. Twelve of seventeen clinical variables were significantly associated with gene presence (p < 0.05). Ertapenem, imipenem, and meropenem had MIC50/90 ≥8 µg/mL, indicating high resistance. Tigecycline showed better sensitivity, with MIC50/90 of 0.5/2 µg/mL (blaNDM) and 2/2 µg/mL (blaOXA-48). Fosfomycin MIC90 in blaOXA-48 isolates ranged up to 256 µg/mL. The study highlights high blaNDM and blaOXA-48 prevalence, their clinical associations, and limited therapeutic options. Tigecycline remains most effective in vitro, but pharmacokinetic concerns exist. These findings emphasize the need for antimicrobial stewardship and molecular surveillance.

Keywords

Carbapenemases, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Intensive Care Unit, Multidrug-resistant

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© The Author(s) 2026. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.