Title: Are Community-Based Hospitals Safe from Carbapenem-Resistant<i>Enterobacteriaceae</i>in Korea?
Abstract: Carbepenems are used with increasing frequency to treat multidrug-resistant isolates, especially strains producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases [1,2]. Resistance to carbapenems has been uncommon among Enterobacteriaceae. However, the emergence of β-lactamases with direct carbapenem-hydrolyzing activity has contributed to an increased prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) [3]. CRE are particularly problematic given the high mortality associated with infections caused by CRE, and the potential for widespread transmission of carbapenem resistance via mobile genetic elements [3,4].