2166. Performance Study on the New ETEST® Piperacillin/Tazobactam (P/T) MIC Strip

BACKGROUND: Piperacillin/Tazobactam combination is a first-line antibiotic and carbapenem sparing option for severe infections due to Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. ETEST® strips allow to determine antimicrobial Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). ETEST® Piperacillin/Tazobactam (Ptc) was developped in 1995 against agar dilution reference method. Since then, resistance to Piperacillin/Tazobactam has been increasing and broth microdilution (BMD) substituted for agar dilution as the reference method. The new ETEST® P/T strip for determining MIC of Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii was developed against BMD using a panel of recent strains well genotypically characterized. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of both strips on a panel of challenging strains harboring different-resistant mechanisms. METHODS: A total of 64 strains were tested using ETEST® P/T, ETEST® PTc and BMD: 48 Enterobacteriaceae including 25 resistant strains and 16 P. aeruginosa including 11 resistant strains. The results were analyzed for essential (EA) and category (CA) agreements, minor (mE), major (ME) and very major (VME) error rates using FDA/CLSI 2019 breakpoints (Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa: ≤ 16/4(S); ≥ 128/4(R) µg/mL). RESULTS: Although the panel of strains was challenging including different resistant mechanisms (acquired penicillinase, high-level cephalosporinase, acquired cephalosporinase, ESBL, carbapenemase), the new ETEST® P/T performance was significantly improved for Enterobacteriaceae with an EA at 92,2% without ME or VME. This improvement was also linked to the easiest reading (significant decrease of microcolonies in the ellipse zone). For P. aeruginosa, the performance was similar between the two strips but the new ETEST® P/T was better correlated with the BMD and showed an EA of 100%. The results are summarized in the table. CONCLUSION: The new ETEST® P/T improved the MIC determination and resistance detection, as well as the reading of MIC end points for the routine use. This study emphasizes the need to check the performance of the antimicrobial susceptibility testing products by testing strains reflecting the current epidemiology. [Image: see text] DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.