Tobramycin: in vitro and clinical evaluation in 30 patients

Clinical evaluation of intramuscular tobramycin was accomplished in 30 patients with respiratory, soft tissue, urinary tract, bone or septicemic infections due to gram negative bacilli. Median sensitivity to tobramycin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates (19 strains) was 0.62 mug/ml and range 0.31-2.5 mug/ml; less activity was observed for Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter species isolates but median minimum inhibitory concentrations were less than or equal to 2.5 mug/ml. Therapy resulted in clinical and bacteriologic cures in 16 patients (53 per cent) including 13 of 16 (181 per cent) with urinary tract infections; 9 of the 14 patients who did not obtain bacteriologic cure had satisfactory clinical responses. Tobramycin was effective for selected gram negative bacillary infections and particularly for P. aeruginosa.