Comparison of Lateral Flow Immunochromatography and Phenotypic Assays to PCR for the Detection of Carbapenemase-Producing Gram-Negative Bacteria, a Multicenter Experience in Mexico.

The identification of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales and is important for treating and controlling hospital infections. The recommended methods for their identification require a long waiting time, technical training, and expertise. Lateral flow immunoassays such as NG-Test CARBA 5 overcome these needs. We analyzed 84 clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and from four different hospitals in a two-year period. Antimicrobial resistance patterns were confirmed with the broth dilution method. Evaluation of KPC, VIM, NDM, IMP, and OXA-48-like enzymes was performed and compared to NG-Test CARBA 5 and phenotypic assays. Enterobacterales represented 69% of isolates and represented 31%. Carbapenemase-producing strains were 51 (88%) of Enterobacterales and 23 (88.4%) of ; 20 (34%) and 23 (88%) were Class B ß-lactamases, respectively. The NG-Test CARBA 5 assay for Enterobacterales showed high sensitivity (98%), specificity (100%), and PPV (100%); however, it did not for . The Kappa concordance coefficient was 0.92 for Enterobacterales and 0.52 for . NG-Test CARBA 5 is a fast and easy-to-use assay. In Enterobacterales, we found excellent agreement in our comparison with molecular tests. Despite the low agreement in , we suggest that this test could be used as a complementary tool.