Aminoglycosides Side Effects

They are a group of antibiotics which are effective against aerobic bacteria, gram negative bacteria and have varied pharmacological uses. Aminoglycosides bind to the 30S ribosome and act as protein synthesis inhibitors, they take advantage of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic differences and stop or slow the cell proliferation process. In the antibiotic form they are mostly administered in the Intravenous (IV) form, as they do not get absorbed properly if taken orally. Streptomycin, amikacin, kanamycin, apramycin, etc. are forms of aminoglycosides characterized by aminocyclitol ring associated with amino modified sugars. They are typically used with other medications for plague and tularemia diseases which are highly infectious diseases of rodents and can be passed on to humans by ticks or flies. Like some antibiotics, the side effects of aminoglycosides can lead to complications and hence should be used under doctors supervision.

Uses of Aminoglycosides

Aminoglycosides are amino sugars joined to a hexose nucleus in glycosidic linkage and have a strong organic base. They are derived from the bacteria of the Streptomyces genus and Micromonospora, and have a broad antimicrobial spectrum. Aminoglycosides cause misreading of the mRNA sequence and inhibit protein synthesis. This makes them effective in combating most gram negative bacteria like e-coli, salmonella and pseudomanas. The effectiveness of aminoglycosides against aerobic gram negative bacilli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis is well-known. The most common form of administering amnioglycosides is the IV method but, it is also used through the irrigation method. Inhalation is one more way by which aminoglycosides are introduced to a patients body. They are generally used alone, but at times, can be given with other medications to treat bacterial infections. Aminoglycosides are used with β-lactam broad spectrum for gram-negative bacillus infections. Some limitations of aminiglycosides are that they cannot be used against viral infections,common cold and flu. Some experiments have shown the effectiveness of aminoglycosides for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.

Side Effects

The use of aminoglycosides as effective antibiotics for bacterial infection is popular but, there are side effects and you need to discuss these with your physician. They do not work against anaerobic bacteria and viruses that cause diseases. Aminoglycosides are contraindicated for people who are allergic to them. People who have pre-existing conditions like kidney diseases and Parkinson's disease have to talk about taking aminoglycosides with their doctors. Renal toxicity is in most cases reversible, but constant monitoring is required. If indications of problems show up the drug must be stopped or the dosage needs to be adjusted. Indication of kidney problems are changes in urine output and one needs to watch out for this, as it can lead to severe complications. Dizziness is one of the most common side effects and is also associated with other antibiotics. Keep your doctors updated about your allergies, let them know if you have had an allergic reaction to aminoglycosides or other food products and preservatives. If you are pregnant it is important to advise the doctors about your condition as some experiments have shown that aminoglycosides can cause damage to the unborn child. Children and Old adults are more susceptible to the side effects of aminoglycosides and may experience hearing loss and kidney damage. Severe side effects like ototoxicity which leads to loss of hearing can occur if dosage levels are high. Tough levels and high peak levels, long periods of therapy and age factor are some of the contributing factors to ototoxicity. Vestibulotoxicity, which is the damage of the equilibrium and leads to loss of balance is also attributed to aminoglycosides and is seen in patients with extensive periods of therapy.

The side effects are co-related to the dosage and constant monitoring of blood levels is necessary to avoid these side effects. Doctors decide the dosage taking into consideration the age, weight and medical history of the patient.