AMINOGLYCOSIDES

Aminoglycosides are extremely active antimicrobial agents, particularl y against bacteremia caused by aerobic gram-negative bacilli. Emergenc e of resistance during therapy is a rare event. All the aminoglycoside s, however, possess the potential for renal and otovestibular toxicity . Despite careful attention to dosage regimens designed to achieve tar geted peak and trough levels in serum, the incidence of nephrotoxicity did not change until the advent of once-daily drug regimens. Because of their strong antibacterial properties, aminoglycosides remain usefu l for the treatment of serious infections, but drug monitoring has to be strict to preserve antibacterial activity while avoiding toxicity a s much as possible.