What are CRE?
- Enterobacteriaceae are a large family of organisms mostly found in the gut. Commonly encountered Enterobacteriaceae are coli, Klebsiella species, and Enterobacter species.
- Carbapenems are an antibiotic class that includes doripenem, ertapenem, imipenem, and meropenem. Carbapenems are some of the strongest antibiotics and are often used for treating severe healthcare-associated infections.
- CRE are Enterobacteriaceae that are resistant to carbapenem antibiotics. Typically, they also are resistant to most other antibiotics. CRE can cause many types of infections including urinary tract infections, abdominal infections, pneumonia, and bloodstream infections.