SG-APSIC1123: Diagnostic and infection prevention and control (IPC) performance of rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) compared to conventional culture PCR methods for detecting carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs)

Objectives: In this study, we compared the performance of a rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in detecting carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) and its impact on infection prevention control (IPC) measures with culture PCR method. Methods: All patients requiring CPO screening were included. Rectal swabs collected double rayon (Copan 139C). They simultaneously analyzed for presence CPOs using assay (Xpert Carba-R assay, Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA) culture–PCR (ChromID CARBA-SMART, bioMerieux, Marcy-l’Etoile, France). For only colored colonies (ie, Enterobacterales) evaluated according to prevailing institutional protocol. We tracked time detection. Using positivity from either or as gold standard, calculated sensitivity specificity both tests. number epidemiologically linked contacts generated when first test results known. prospectively followed ward census identify putative additional by later known result. Contacts who shared same (with overlapping time) patients. Results: Between April 2019 June 2020, detected 316 (1.3%) 24,514 samples ( bla OXA48, N = 211; NDM, 51; IMI, 21; IMP, 10; KPC, 9; mixed genotypes, 14). The 605(2.5%) 266; 161; 99; VIM, 29; 15; 35). direct methods 94.2% (95% CI, 92.1%–95.8%) 43.5% 39.6%–47.4%), respectively. Both tests had 100% specificity. median times detection 3–4 hours 4 days, Compared PCR, 7,415 it also tested positive an 23,135 negative CPOs. Conclusions: our was more sensitive, identified faster, fewer than