[Threshold doses in ototoxicity].

In the introduction the main importance of the total dose of administered aminoglycoside antibiotics for ototoxicity is stressed. Within the clinical ototoxicity dose range fewer than 2% of the patients with no ototoxicity increasing factors are at risk of irreversible ototoxic damage. Within the absolute ototoxicity range this risk is less than 0.2%. On the basis of clinical and experimental experience of the different aminoglycoside antibiotics, the values for the clinical and absolute ototoxicity threshold doses of the modern aminoglycoside antibiotics are indicated. For gentamicin, these values amount to 50 and 20 mg/kg respectively and for amikacin to 120 and 50 mg/kg body weight respectively.