Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Multidrug Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated from a University Teaching Hospital, China

The multidrug-resistant rate of Klebsiella pneumoniae has risen rapidly worldwide. To better understand the multidrug resistance situation and molecular characterization of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a total of 153 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were collected, and drug susceptibility test was performed to detect its susceptibility patterns to 13 kinds of antibiotics. Phenotypic tests for carbapenemases ESBLs and AmpC enzyme-producing strains were performed to detect the resistance phenotype of the isolates. Then PCR amplification and sequencing analysis were performed for the drug resistance determinants. The results showed that 63 strains harbored bla (CTX-M) gene, and 14 strains harbored bla (DHA) gene. Moreover, there were 5 strains carrying bla (KPC) gene, among which 4 strains carried bla (CTX-M), bla (DHA) and bla (KPC) genes, and these 4 strains were also resistant to imipenem. Our data indicated that drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae were highly prevalent in the hospital. Thus it is warranted that surveillance of epidemiology of those resistant isolates should be a cause for concern, and appropriate drugs should be chosen.