Characterization of VIM and IMP Metallobetalactamases (MBL) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated in a Tertiary Care Hospital

The early eighties saw the introduction of a new group of antibiotics known as the carbapenems, which exhibited broader spectrum of activity as compared to cephalosporins. These group of antibiotics were active against Gram negative bacilli including non-fermenters like Pseudomonas producing extended spectrum betalactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC betalactamases (Deshpande et al., 2004; Gladstone et al., 2005). However, reports of resistance to these antibiotics amongst non-fermenting Gram negative bacteria (NFGNB) particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been published in the last decade. The strains of carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause serious outbreaks in immunocompromised and hospitalized patients especially those admitted to intensive care and acute care units (Gowda and Marie, 2014; Maltezou et al., 2013).