Rapid Carbapenemase Detection for Smarter Antimicrobial Stewardship

Closing the time gap between antimicrobial resistance detection and clinical action

A Growing Global Challenge

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most urgent challenges in modern healthcare. Rapid identification of resistance mechanisms is essential to support timely treatment decisions and effective antimicrobial stewardship.

When Last-Line Antibiotics Are at Risk

Carbapenems are often used for severe multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections. When carbapenem resistance occurs, identifying the specific resistance mechanism becomes critical.

Major carbapenemase families include KPC, NDM, VIM, IMP, and OXA-48-like enzymes. Different mechanisms may require different therapeutic strategies.

The Time Gap That Matters

Conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing may require extended turnaround time. During this period, clinicians may need to rely on empirical treatment decisions.

LFIA-based carbapenemase detection provides rapid identification within minutes, helping laboratories accelerate resistance detection and clinical decision-making.

The Medomics Solution

Carbapenemase detection kits enables rapid detection of clinically important carbapenemase families with a simple workflow and no complex molecular infrastructure.

KPC/IMP/NDM/VIM/OXA-48 Combo Test Kit (KINVO)
• Detects five major carbapenemase families
• Results within 15–20 minutes
• Direct detection from bacterial colonies

OXA-23 Carbapenemase Test Kit
Designed for rapid detection of OXA-23 associated with Acinetobacter baumannii.

Clinical Evidence

Independent studies have evaluated KINVO kit across different clinical settings, demonstrating strong performance and agreement with reference methods.

Multi-center evaluation in Oman demonstrated strong diagnostic performance for detection of important carbapenemase families.

Comparative Evaluation of Commercial LFIA Platforms

A European comparative study evaluated three commercial LFIA platforms, confirming KINVO as a clinically reliable rapid carbapenemase detection solution.

Clinical Impact Beyond Individual Patients

Rapid carbapenemase detection supports healthcare systems through:

• Faster clinical decisions — supporting targeted antimicrobial therapy
• Infection prevention — enabling earlier response to resistant pathogens
• AMR surveillance — supporting resistance monitoring programs

Moving Toward Faster AMR Response

Every hour saved in identifying resistance mechanisms provides valuable time for informed action. Medomics is committed to developing accessible rapid diagnostic solutions worldwide.

References

[1] Rujaibi A.A., Jabri Z.A., Jardani A.A., Mamari A.A., Sumri S.A., Sami H., Muharrmi Z.A., Rizvi M. Assessment of Phenotypic Tools for Detection of OXA-48, KPC, and NDM in Klebsiella pneumoniae in Oman. Diagnostics 2025; 15: 949. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15080949

[2] Evaluation of three commercial lateral flow immunoassays for the detection of KPC, VIM, NDM, IMP and OXA-48-like carbapenemases. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2025.