Aminoglycosides – ‘The 3 Amigos’
⭐ AMINOglycosides are antibiotics comprised of AMINO acid sugars that are linked together.
3️⃣ The three most commonly used are (mnemonic: TAG):
-Tobramycin
-Amikacin
-Gentamicin
Other agents include plazomicin, streptomycin, and neomycin.
⭐ 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.
⭐ MOA: they kill bacteria by binding onto 30S ribosomal subunits inhibiting the bacteria’s ability to synthesize proteins, leading to cell death
⭐ 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.