Effect of tobramycin on serum pseudocholinesterase levels

Tobramycin given in a single dose of 1 mg.Kg-1 intramuscularly, in healthy male volunteers, did not produce any significant change in serum pseudocholinesterase levels. The above antibiotic given in a single dose of 2 mg.Kg-1 intramuscularly produced a statistically significant increase (p less than 0.05) of serum pseudocholinesterase levels 2 and 4 hours after its administration. However, this increase is very small to have any clinical significance. For the anaesthesiologist, a decrease, rather than an increase, of the serum pseudocholinesterase level should be of clinical significance.