Use of aminoglycosides in surgical infections.

Most infections on the surgical ward are due to one or more gram-negative rods, acting either as the sole pathogens or as principal components in a polymicrobial flora. To date, parenteral aminoglycosides have proven to be the most effective antibiotics for control or treatment of such sepsis. Unfortunately, however, serious complications as well as therapeutic failures do occur. During a 40-month period, 405 surgical patients receiving aminoglycosides (Gentamicin, Tobramycin, Sisomicin, or Amikacin) were prospectively studied with respect to: indications for antibiotic; patient population; serum concentrations of antibiotic according to route of administration, dose in mg/kg/day, and renal function; rapidity of antibiotic excretion in the urine; causative bacteria and their sensitivities to each aminoglycoside as determined by both disc and tube dilution methods; severity and frequency of drug complications; and clinical efficacy of each study antibiotic. Results supported the contention of a superior effectiveness from aminoglycosides for established abdominal and unspecified surgical infections, more rapid development of therapeutic blood levels by intravenous administration, need to alter drug dose according to frequent serum creatinine determinations, increased drug toxicity in dehydrated and shocked patients, preventability of complicating Candida sepsis, and the importance of early as well as adequate surgical debridement and drainage.