Clinico-pharmacological studies of sisomicin in ill children.

Sisomicin, at 4.5 mg/kg per day, was prescribed for the therapy of serious bacterial infections of hospitalized infants, children, and adolescents. Eleven children received full treatment courses, with 10 clinical and 9 bacteriological cures. Three patients with underlying disease (two cystic fibrosis and one aplastic anemia) accounted for the failures. Mean half-life was 98.3 min (range, 26.1 to 159.3), and peak serum concentrations 10 min after intravenous infusion were similar (5 to 6 mug/ml) on days 1, 3, and 5 of therapy. Mean urinary concentrations were 54.3 mug/ml; 31 to 47% of the drug was excreted within the 8-h dosage interval. The drug was tolerated well by all patients; however, one patient, receiving the longest duration of therapy (26 days), developed reversible nephrotoxicity.