24Rapid, accurate detection of carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) and 25 the classification of their carbapenemases are valuable tools for reducing the mortality 26 of the CPO-associated infections, preventing the spread of CPOs, and optimizing use of 27 new β-lactamase inhibitor combinations such as ceftazidime/avibactam and 28 meropenem/vaborbactam. The current study evaluated the performance of CPO29 Complete, a novel, manual, phenotypic carbapenemase detection and classification 30 test. The test was evaluated for sensitivity and specificity against 262 CPO isolates of 31 Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii and 67 32 non-CPO isolates. It was also evaluated for carbapenemase classification accuracy 33 against 205 CPOs that produced a single carbapenemase class. The test exhibited 34 100% sensitivity 98.5% specificity for carbapenemase detection within 90 minutes and 35 detected 74.1% of carbapenemases within 10 minutes. In the classification evaluation, 36 99.0% of carbapenemases were correctly classified. The test is technically simple and 37 has potential for adaptation to automated instruments. With lyophilized kit storage at 38 temperatures up to 38 o C the CPO Complete test has the potential to provide rapid, 39 accurate carbapenemase detection and classification in both limited resource and 40 technologically advanced laboratories.41 3 42 Background 43 Infections by carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) are associated with 44 high mortality (1-4). The main contributors to this are the extensive, sometimes total, 45 antibiotic resistance of CPOs, failures to provide effective therapy, and inadequate 46 infection control. Rapid CPO detection and carbapenemase classification can be pivotal 47 to efforts to reduce the mortality. Speed of detection is critical for effective infection 48 control and for prompt initiation of combination antibiotic therapy, which is optimal for 49 serious CPO infections (2, 3, 5-16). Classification of carbapenemases can optimize 50 appropriate use of new β-lactamase inhibitor combinations such as 51 ceftazidime/avibactam, meropenem/vaborbactam, imipenem/relebactam, 52 aztreonam/avibactam, meropenem/nacubactam, cefepime/zidebactam and 53 cefepime/VNRX-5133 and minimize their overuse. Currently marketed rapid, phenotypic 54 manual CPO tests do not classify carbapenemases.
55The CPO Complete test is a manual CPO detection and classification test 56 designed to provide rapid, accurate results. The current study was designed to assess 57 its speed and accuracy of CPO detection and its potential to classify carbapenemases. 58 59 Materials and Methods 60 Isolates Three hundred twenty nine isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas 61 aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii from two culture collections, that of the 62 University of Louisville and also the Antimicrobial Resistance Isolate Bank of the 63 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration, were 4 64 characterized for types of β-lactamase production by ...