Background: Gram-negative bacterial resistance to antibiotics is of increasing concern. Carbapenem resistance among strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae is a relatively new phenomenon. Resistance attributable to production of carbapenemases is notoriously difficult to combat.
Methods: Case report and review of the pertinent English-language literature.
Results: A patient, hospitalized for aortic dissection complicated by intra-abdominal catastrophe and acute kidney injury, developed bacteremia exhibiting meropenem non-susceptibility secondary to expression of bla(KPC-2). High-dose, continuous-infusion meropenem achieved serum drug concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration and eradicated the infection.
Conclusion: This is the first report of a meropenem-non-susceptible carbapenamase-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae blood stream infection treated successfully with high-dose, continuous-infusion meropenem. Application of this regimen in certain patients, such as those with mild-to-moderate renal insufficiency, may be a reasonable option for multi-drug-resistant nosocomial infections.