Microbiological Assays of Aminoglycoside Antibiotics in Serum: Technique and Interpretation

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Abstract
Summary Aminoglycosides are essential life-saving bactericidal antibiotics with a relatively small therapeutic index. The risk of overdose is, hence, rather high, as well as the risk of ototoxic or nephrotoxic complications. In order to avoid such accidents, one should advise to follow the treatment of patients, mainly with kidney failure, by determining blood levels of those antibiotics. These measurements can be obtained in a reliable and relatively inexpensive way with the microbiological agar diffusion technique. Technical aspects related to gentamicin, tobramycin, kanamycin and amikacin are described. Techniques to eliminate other simultaneously present antibiotics are proposed. Finally, the value of such information is discussed in the perspectives of therapeutic and toxicologic applications.

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