Indications of carbapenem resistance evolution through heteroresistance as an intermediate stage in Acinetobacter baumannii after carbapenem administration

Authors

  • Silvana Vargas Superti Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Hospital São Lucas; Laboratory of Microbiology
  • Daniela de Souza Martins Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Hospital São Lucas; Laboratory of Microbiology
  • Juliana Caierão Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Hospital São Lucas; Laboratory of Microbiology
  • Fabiana da Silva Soares Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Hospital São Lucas; Laboratory of Microbiology
  • Taísa Prochnow Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Hospital São Lucas; Laboratory of Microbiology
  • Alexandre Prehn Zavascki Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Hospital São Lucas; Dept. Infectology

Keywords:

Acinetobacter baumannii, Carbapenem-heteroresistance, Meropenem treatment

Abstract

We describe an in vivo evolution of an antimicrobial profile from susceptibility to full-resistance to carbapenems, with heteroresistance as an intermediate stage, in an Acinetobacter baumannii strain. Heteroresistance was characterized by the growth of sub-populations within the susceptibility halo in both disk-diffusion and Etest. PCRs for the main A. baumannii carbapenemases were negative. The exact resistance mechanism, diagnostic methods and clinical relevance of heteroresistance in A. baumannii warrant further investigations. This is the first description of such phenomenon in vivo and the second report of heteroresistance to carbapenems in A. baumannii.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2009-04-01

Issue

Vol. 51 No. 2 (2009)

Section

Case Reports

How to Cite

Superti, S. V., Martins, D. de S., Caierão, J., Soares, F. da S., Prochnow, T., & Zavascki, A. P. (2009). Indications of carbapenem resistance evolution through heteroresistance as an intermediate stage in Acinetobacter baumannii after carbapenem administration . Revista Do Instituto De Medicina Tropical De São Paulo, 51(2), 111-113. https://www.revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/31255