The prevalence of carbapenem resistance is increasing on a global scale due to the lack of effective treatments, and transmission through healthcare settings into the community environment. The ability of acquired resistance to spread via vertical and horizontal gene transfer has led to sporadic global outbreaks of carbapenemase-producing organisms that are difficult to treat and expensive to manage. Incidences of previously geographically contained carbapenemases are now being observed at a growing rate in many countries as a result of modern-day travel.
The first step in the fight against carbapenem resistance is through the implementation of laboratory testing to enable early identification of carbapenem-resistant infections; allowing treatment to be tailored appropriately and to limit transmission in order to prevent outbreaks. Routine testing will also allow better surveillance monitoring and assist with the development of novel therapeutic options. In this issue we see how molecular LAMP technology can provide laboratories with a simple and cost-effective solution to identifying the most prevalent carbapenemase-producing organisms.