Objective: In recent years, increasing carbapenem resistance of Enterobacterales bacteria limits treatment options, considerably. The main mechanism of this resistance is the production of carbapenemase enzymes. The aim of this study is to determine carbapenemase gene types in Enterobacterales isolates from our hospitalized patients and assess the clonal associations of the isolates with KPC gene.

Method: A total of 48 clinical Enterobacterales isolates resistant to at least one carbapeneme and received between January 2019 and March 2019 were included in the study. Sample types were consisted of urine, blood, tracheal aspirate, wound and sputum. Of these isolates, three were Escherichia coli while 45 were Klebsiella pneumoniae. Types of carbapenemases were investigated by polymerase chain reaction, using specific primers for VIM, IMP, NDM, KPC and OXA-48 genes. PFGE was performed to determine the clonal associations between blaKPC positive K. pnemoniae isolates.

Results: According to the results, blaOXA-48 (n=2) and blaKPC (n=1) were found to be present among E. coli isolates. Regarding 45 K. pneumoniae isolates; only blaOXA-48 and only blaNDM were present in 30 and two isolates, respectively. Seven K. pneumoniae isolates were found positive for both blaOXA-48 and blaNDM. Remaining K. pneumoniae isolates (n=6) harboured only blaKPC. None of the isolates were positive for blaIMP and blaVIM. PFGE analysis showed four isolates had the same pulsotype (A), while two had different pulsotypes (B-C).

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first report of KPC gene isolated in Dokuz Eylul University Hospital.