Pseudoresistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resulting from degradation of imipenem in an automated susceptibility testing system with predried panels.

During the use of a single lot of custom breakpoint panels (Sensititre; Radiometer America Inc., Westlake, Ohio), imipenem susceptibility declined from 70 to 44% for clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. With a new lot, susceptibility increased to 73%. Subsequent evaluations with P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 revealed a similar susceptibility pattern and an increase in the MIC of imipenem when determined in panels with increasing ages. Imipenem concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography by using 11 different lots of MIC and breakpoint panels (139 to 893 days of age). The amount of imipenem remaining declined from 94.4 to 13.8% (r = 0.9225) over the age range of the panels. These data suggest that imipenem in Sensititre MIC and breakpoint panels degrades over time and that the decrease in imipenem may be largely responsible for the decline in P. aeruginosa susceptibility.