Carbapenem - Gentamicin dual resistance screening test

Description: 
A screening test which looks specifically for the presence of carbapenem and gentamicin resistant Gram negative organisms. Carapenemase is used to describe any β-lactamase that hydrolyses carbapenems e.g. any or all of the doripenem, ertapenem, imipenem and meropenem antibiotics, many carbepenemases confer resistance or reduced susceptibility to all or nearly all members of the β-lactam class of antibiotics. Organisms isolated that are resistant to carbapenem and/or gentamicin resistance are fully identified and reported against a range of antibiotics. Turn around time 2-3 days.
Clinical details: 
In order to control or monitor an outbreak, patients and occasionally environmental samples are screened for the presence of organisms exhibiting a particular resistance pattern as directed by the Microbiology Clinical staff or Control of Infection team.
Related condition or disease: 
Antibiotic resistance screening
Synonyms or keywords: 
resistance, carbapenem, gentamicin
Department: 
Infection Sciences Department
Location: 
St Thomas' Hospital
Sample type and Volume required: 
Screen – 1 x rectal swab in Amies (blue or black top) transport medium.
A stool sample (1-5 grams) can be provided if rectal swab is not possible.
Also screen ancillary sites such as wounds or device-related sites.
Swabs received in the department by 18.00hrs will be processed the same day.
Call in advance: 
No
Turnaround time: 
2-3 days. Positive results are telephoned to the ward or clinical team by Infection Control Team or Microbiology clinical staff.
Criteria for acceptance / rejections of sample
Storage and transport: 
Please place the rectal screening swab or other specimen sites in a sealed transport bag and send to Central Specimen Reception (CSR). Samples should be refrigerated if transport to the laboratory is delayed. Non-swab samples can be sent in a sterile universal container.
Contacts:
Infection Sciences Department at St Thomas' Hospital
020 7188 8008
St Thomas' Hospital
North Wing - 5th Floor
Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7EH
Core opening hours: Monday-Friday 0900-1730


For clinical advice or interpretation of results, please contact the laboratory in the first instance.
Laboratory: 
Microbiology Laboratory at St Thomas'

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Last updated: 08/06/2021