Carbapenemases in Enterobacteriaceae - overview and importance.

Carbapenems are last resort antibiotics used in infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infections are an increasingly global threat, especially because carbapenemase production is more frequent than other resistance mechanisms and is encoded by genes located on transferable genetic structures. The production of classes A (KPC), B (IMP, VIM, NDM) and D (OXA-48 and its variants) of carbapenemases has important clinical consequences and is a constant pool of resistance. This review tries to show the diversity of carbapenemases and to underline their importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]