Gentamicin Sulfate
Last Reviewed: Dec 16, 2024
Uses
Gentamicin Uses
Gentamicin is used to treat bacterial infections, including bacterial sepsis in newborns, bacterial septicemia, and serious bacterial infections of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), urinary tract infections, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, skin, bone and soft tissue infections, including burns.
Note: Gentamicin and other aminoglycosides are not used to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections unless the causative organism is susceptible to aminoglycosides and resistant to other antibiotics that are less toxic. Your healthcare provider will obtain a specimen for bacterial culture and sensitivity to find out which bacteria are causing your infection and whether they are susceptible to gentamicin.
There may be other uses of injection gentamicin, such as to treat plague, tularemia, pelvic inflammatory disease, and a sexually transmitted disease called donovanosis or granuloma inguinale—your health care professional can give you further drug information.
Gentamicin Mechanism of Action
Gentamicin binds to the ribosomes of susceptible bacteria and prevents bacterial ribosome recycling. In other words, aminoglycosides bind to the genetic material of the bacteria and prevent protein synthesis. The aminoglycoside inhibition of protein synthesis kills the bacteria that cause infections.
Gentamicin Doses
Gentamicin injection is available in the following dosage forms: 10 mg/mL and 40 mg/mL injection solution for intramuscular administration (injection into a muscle) and intravenous administration (injection into a vein). The dose is based on body weight and creatinine clearance.
The recommended dose for people with normal renal function is 3 mg/kg/day given in three divided doses every eight hours. People with life-threatening infections may receive gentamicin doses up to 5 mg/kg/day given in 3-4 divided doses. The dose is reduced to 3 mg/kg/day as soon as possible. Extended interval dosing is used for some serious infections.
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