Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) is employed for the treatment of infections caused by
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemase-producing
K. pneumoniae
(KPC-KP). Resistance to CZA is frequently linked to point mutations in the
bla
KPC
. We conducted
in vitro
simulations of
in vivo bla
KPC
mutations using CZA. Four pre-therapy KPC-KP isolates (K1, K2, K3, and K4) were evaluated, all initially exhibited susceptibility to CZA and produced KPC-2. The crucial distinction was that following CZA treatment, the
bla
KPC-2
mutated in K1, K2, and K3, rendering them resistant to CZA, while K4 achieved microbiological clearance, and
bla
KPC-2
remained unaltered. The induction assay identified various
bla
KPC-2
variants, including
bla
KPC-25
,
bla
KPC-127
,
bla
KPC-100
,
bla
KPC-128
,
bla
KPC-137
,
bla
KPC-138
,
bla
KPC-144
and
bla
KPC-180
. Our findings suggest that the resistance of KPC-KP to CZA primarily results from the emergence of KPC variants, complemented by increased
bla
KPC
expression. A close correlation exists between avibactam concentration and the rate of increased CZA minimum Inhibitory concentration, as well as
bla
KPC
mutation. Inadequate avibactam concentration is more likely to induce resistance in strains against CZA, there is also a higher likelihood of mutation in the
bla
KPC-2
and the optimal avibactam ratio remains to be determined. Simultaneously, we selected a
bla
KPC-33
-producing
K. pneumoniae
strain (mutated from
bla
KPC-2
) and induced it with imipenem and meropenem, respectively. The
bla
KPC-2
was detected during the process, indicating that the mutation is reversible. Clinical use of carbapenems to treat KPC variant strains increases the risk of infection, as the gene can mutate back to
bla
KPC-2
, rendering the strain even more cross-resistant to carbapenems and CZA.