Amikacin Sulfate 37517-28-5

Administration

Amikacin may be administered once or twice a day but must be given by the intravenous or intramuscular route. There is no oral form available as amikacin is not absorbed orally. Dosage must be adjusted in people with kidney failure.

Uses

Amikacin is most often used for treating severe, hospital-acquired infections with multidrug resistant Gram negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, and Enterobacter. Amikacin may be combined with a beta-lactam antibiotic for empiric therapy for people with neutropenia and fever.

Resistance

Amikacin has high resistance against bacterial inactivation. It resists attacks by most bacterial inactivating enzymes, this is accomplished by the L-hydroxyaminobuteroyl amide (L-HABA) moiety attached to N-3 which inhibits acetylation, phosphorylation and adenylation in the distant amino sugar ring (C-2,C-3,C-4). To prevent the development of bacterial resistance to this extremely powerful antibiotic, its use is tightly regulated.

Side effects

Side effects of amikacin are similar to other aminoglycosides. Kidney damage and hearing loss are the most important effects. Because of this potential, blood levels of the drug and markers of kidney function may be monitored. Moreover, doses are adjusted specifically based upon serum Creatinine clearance in clinical settings.