Challenges in laboratory diagnosis and antibiotic treatment options for a newly described Pseudomonas aeruginosa class A beta-lactamase type GES-62 strain.

Antibiotic resistance is a major challenge in modern healthcare, as it severely limits the choice of treatment options. In particular, carbapenemase mediated carbapenem resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses an emerging health risk worldwide. Here, we discovered a hitherto unknown variant of the class A beta-lactamase type GES in a P. aeruginosa strain by whole genome sequencing. This multidrug-resistant strain was isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage samples of a 61-year-old man, who suffered from respiratory insufficiency resulting from pneumonia. Ultimately, the patient succumbed to his condition, as there were no further treatment strategies. Given the high drug resistance of P. aeruginosa and its increasing role in severe infections, the implementation of methods for the rapid detection of carbapenemases is essential for optimizing therapeutic strategies and preventing nosocomial outbreaks.