Is this the carbapenemase test we've been waiting for? A multicenter evaluation of the modified carbapenem inactivation method

Abstract

A plethora of phenotypic methods exist for the detection of carbapenemases; however, clinical laboratories have struggled for years with accurate, objective phenotypic detection of carbapenemase activity in Enterobacteriaceae. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, V. M. Pierce et al. (J Clin Microbiol 55: 2321-2333, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00193-17) report on a multicenter evaluation of the modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM). The high sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and ease of interpretation associated with the mCIM for Enterobacteriaceae will likely lead to its adoption by clinical laboratories.