Antimicrobial Susceptibility to Parenteral and Oral Agents in a Largely Polyclonal Collection of CTX-M-14 and CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia Coli and Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Activity of oral and parenteral antimicrobials against consecutively isolated extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (n = 149) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 20) was determined, and susceptibility test methods were compared for parenteral β-lactams. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting bla(CTX-M), bla(SHV) and bla(TEM), and DNA sequencing and epidemiological typing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were performed. PCR targeting pabB was screened for E. coli O25b-ST131. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using Etest and broth microdilution. Disc diffusion was performed according to European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). Dominating genotypes were bla(CTX-M-15) (75%) and bla(CTX-M-14) (23%). Four E. coli clusters (7-18 isolates) were found. Forty-two per cent of E. coli belonged to O25b-ST131. Ciprofloxacin resistance was 72%, trimethoprim resistance was 70%. Among E. coli, resistance to mecillinam (13%), nitrofurantoin (7%) and fosfomycin (3%) was low, although resistance was high in K. pneumoniae (25%, 60%, 85%). Susceptibility to ertapenem was 99%, piperacillin-tazobactam 91%, tigecycline 96% and temocillin 76%. Susceptibility rates obtained with broth microdilution and Etest were in agreement for cefotaxime (2 vs 1%) and ceftazidime (9 vs 11%), but not for piperacillin-tazobactam (59 vs 91%). With disc diffusion major errors occurred with piperacillin-tazobactam (18/169). Several therapeutic alternatives exist for ESBL-producing E. coli, but few exist for K. pneumoniae. Disc diffusion and Etest can accurately predict susceptibility to cefotaxime and ceftazidime, but not to piperacillin-tazobactam with the present breakpoints.