Gentamicin for the practicing urologist: Review of efficacy, single daily dosing and "switch" therapy

Purpose: We review the literature on gentamicin, including single daily dos ing and "switch" therapy. Materials and Methods: We used MEDLINE to search the literature from 1966 t o June 1997, and then manually searched bibliographies to identify studies that our initial search might have missed. Results: Gentamicin has attractive characteristics, including wide spectrum , infrequent resistance, economy and familiarity. Although limited by well known toxicities, gentamicin remains a drug of choice for serious Gram-nega tive infections. Dosing strategies, such as single daily dosing and switch therapy, have renewed enthusiasm for this time-honored drug. Conclusions: Gentamicin remains a valuable drug in urology. Once daily dosi ng and switch therapy offer the potential to increase effectiveness and con venience while decreasing toxicity and costs.