Tobramycin levels in human eyes.

Tobramycin, a new aminoglycoside antibiotic, penetrated the aqueous humor of human eyes after parenteral administration, either intramuscularly or intravenously, in 36 cataract patients with a presumably normal blood aqueous barrier. Tobramycin administered subconjunctivally to eyes with a normal blood aqueous barrier is capable of achieving therapeutic aqueous humor levels that exceed the minimal inhibitory concentration of most isolates of Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus. No adverse effects were noted in the subjects studied. This drug may be used in the treatment of acute ocular infections.