Treatment and diagnosis of severe KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae infections: a perspective on what has changed over last decades

Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat. Among Gram-negative bacteria, resistance to carbapenems, a class of beta-lactam antibiotics, is usually a proxy for difficult-to-treat resistance, since carbapenem-resistant organisms are often resistant to many classes of antibiotics. Carbapenem resistance in the Gram-negative pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae is mostly due to the production of carbapenemases, enzymes able to hydrolyze carbapenems, and K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-type enzymes are overall the most prevalent carbapenemases in K. pneumoniae. In the last decade, the management of severe infections due to KPC-producing K. pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) in humans has presented many peculiar challenges to clinicians worldwide. In this perspective, we discuss how the treatment of severe KPC-Kp infections has evolved over the last decades, guided by the accumulating evidence from clinical studies, and how recent advances in diagnostics have allowed to anticipate identification of KPC-Kp in infected patients. KEY MESSAGES In the last decade, the management of severe infections due to KPC-Kp has presented many peculiar challenges to clinicians worldwide Following the introduction in clinical practice of novel beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations and novel beta-lactams active against KPC-producing bacteria, the management of severe KPC-Kp infections has witnessed a remarkable evolution Treatment of severe KPC-Kp infections is a highly dynamic process, in which the wise use of novel antimicrobials should be accompanied by a continuous refinement based on evolving clinical evidence and laboratory diagnostics

Automated summary

Antimicrobial resistance, particularly carbapenem resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, poses a significant global health threat. The emergence of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) has presented clinicians with unique challenges in managing severe infections. This article discusses the evolution of treatment strategies for KPC-Kp infections over the past decade, guided by clinical evidence and advances in diagnostics.