A Worrisome Prevalence of Extended Spectrum β-lactamase Producers in Patients with Biliary Obstruction and Cholangitis: Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Biliary Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates

The alarming rise of antibiotic resistance presents a substantial and worrisome issue within the context of biliary obstruction, specifically in the treatment of cholangitis. This abovementioned scenario underscores the critical importance of addressing extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producers in the biliary system to adequately tackle cholangitis using third-generation cephalosporins. Hence, we aimed to determine the frequency of ESBL and carbapenemases among biliary Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from patients with biliary obstruction.