Comparison of amikacin and gentamicin

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Aminoglycosides like gentamicin and amikacin are crucial antibiotics.
• Understanding their efficacy and resistance patterns is vital for treating bacterial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo activity of gentamicin and amikacin against common Gram-negative pathogens.
• To assess potential cross-resistance between these two aminoglycosides.

Main Methods:

• In vitro susceptibility testing using disc diffusion, replica plating, and tube dilution methods.
• In vivo assessment of serum bactericidal activity in human volunteers after administration of gentamicin and amikacin.

Main Results:

• Both gentamicin and amikacin demonstrated significant bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Proteus/Providence sp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• A notable absence of complete cross-resistance was observed, with some strains resistant to one agent but susceptible to the other.
• Serum bactericidal activity in volunteers showed comparable, albeit variable, results for both drugs against different bacterial species.

Conclusions:

• Amikacin may offer an advantage over gentamicin due to a lack of complete cross-resistance in certain pathogens.
• These findings support the judicious use of both antibiotics, considering specific resistance profiles.