Genetic Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from a Multicenter Study in Korea

Abstract

Owing to concern that carbapenemase-producing strains among carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) isolates is on the rise, we investigated the genetic epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibilities of clinical CRPA isolates collected in four academic hospitals in Korea. Carbapenemase genes were detected in 46 of 63 CRPA isolates (73.0%) collected between 2021 and 2024, and blaNDM ST773 was the most common genotype (27 isolates, 42.9%), followed by blaNDM ST644 (9 isolates, 14.3%) and blaIMP ST235 (7 isolates, 11.1%). Overall susceptibility to ceftazidime/avibactam was only 17.5%, and none of the carbapenemase-producing isolates were susceptible to it. All ST644 strains were also resistant to aztreonam.