Imipenem disc for detection of KPC carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in clinical practice

The global spread of class A-carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae has made the development of a simple test a desirable goal. A disc diffusion test using imipenem was 100% sensitive and 96% specific in identifying carbapenemase-producing organisms, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for the relatively labor-intensive modified Hodge test.