Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase


Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase

A plasmid-transferrable beta-lactamase (enzyme) carried by an increasing number of strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae as well as other Enterobacteriaceae. Hydrolysis of the beta-lactam ring renders many of the antibiotics—in particular, extended spectrum cephalosporins and carbapenems (imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem)—ineffective.