Aminoglycosides – ‘The 3 Amigos’⁠
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⭐ AMINOglycosides are antibiotics comprised of AMINO acid sugars that are linked together. ⁠
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3️⃣ The three most commonly used are (mnemonic: TAG): ⁠
-Tobramycin⁠
-Amikacin⁠
-Gentamicin⁠
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Other agents include plazomicin, streptomycin, and neomycin. ⁠
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⭐ They are used for serious infections caused by gram-negative bacteria such as complicated UTIs, sepsis, or intraabdominal infections. They can also be used in combination with other agents for infectious caused by gram-positive bacteria in endocarditis. ⁠
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⭐ MOA: they kill bacteria by binding onto 30S ribosomal subunits inhibiting the bacteria’s ability to synthesize proteins, leading to cell death⁠
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⭐ Other key facts to know:⁠
-Adverse effects include nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity⁠
-They are approximately 70-95% excreted renally⁠
-They are concentration-dependent bacterial killers, which means bacterial killing increases with rising drug concentrations⁠
-Monitor serum drug levels (troughs and peaks), serum creatinine, BUN, urine output, and hearing⁠.