Collection

Carbapenem resistance: guidance, data and analysis

The management, surveillance and epidemiology of carbapenem resistance.

• From: Public Health England
• Published: 1 April 2013
• Last updated: 27 July 2021 — See all updates

Carbapenems are a powerful group of broad spectrum beta-lactam (penicillin-related) antibiotics. In many cases, these are our last effective defence against infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria, such as some strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli.

Resistance to carbapenems has emerged and is beginning to spread. New antibiotics need to be developed to counter bacteria with this type of resistance. Hospitals need good infection control to prevent their spread.

Public Health England’s Antimicrobial resistance and healthcare associated infections (AMRHAI) reference unit conducts monitoring and surveillance on antibiotic resistance, and has particular interest in carbapenem-resistant bacteria.

Diagnosis

• Detection of acquired carbapenemases: commercial assays
  • 22 November 2022
  • Guidance
• AMRHAI reference unit: reference and diagnostic services
  • 31 July 2024
  • Guidance

Management

For more clinical or technical guidance and publications see Antimicrobial resistance (AMR): information and resources.

• Actions to contain carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE)
  • 28 September 2022
  • Guidance

Epidemiology

English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) is designed to develop and maintain robust information and surveillance systems to measure antimicrobial utilisation and its impact on resistance and patient safety in England.

• Carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative organisms: laboratory surveillance
  • 26 September 2024
  • Research and analysis
• English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) report
  • 14 November 2024
  • Research and analysis
• Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae: laboratory confirmed cases
  • 10 October 2016
  • Research and analysis

Published 1 April 2013
Last updated 27 July 2021 + show all updates

1. 27 July 2021

   Added 'Carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria: laboratory surveillance' under Epidemiology.

2. 2 October 2020

   Removed 'Carbapenamase producing enterobacterales: framework of actions', 'CPE: non-acute and community healthcare toolkit', and 'Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae: acute trusts toolkit'. Replaced with ‘Actions to contain carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE)’

3. 7 January 2020

   Added: 'Carbapenamase producing enterobacterales: a framework of actions'.

4. 30 May 2019

   Added 'Detection of acquired carbapenemases: commercial assays' to collection.

5. 24 April 2019

   Removed data collection section which referred to the Electronic Reporting System (ERS) enhanced surveillance website which is closing at the end of April 2019.

6. 1 April 2013

   First published.