Gentamicin: functions, dosage, side effects, how to use

What Drug Gentamicin?

What is Gentamicin for?

Gentamicin is a drug commonly used to prevent or treat various bacterial infections. Gentamicin belongs to the aminoglycoside antibiotic class. The drug Gentamicin works by stopping the growth of bacteria.

Gentamicin is available in various forms, namely gentamicin injection (injection), and gentamicin in the form of ointment or cream.

Gentamicin antibiotic is also known as an antimicrobial drug. This means, gentamicin is a drug that works to fight infections caused by bacteria, both in humans and in animals.

Antibiotics work by killing bacteria or making it difficult for bacteria to grow and reproduce. Although they are effective in overcoming bacterial infections, antibiotics cannot be used to treat viral infections.

Gentamicin Dosage

How to use gentamicin?

Gentamicin injection is injected into a vein or muscle as directed by a doctor, usually once every 8 hours during treatment.

Meanwhile, gentamicin ointment is given after you clean your skin with soap and water. Apply a small amount of Gentamicin ointment on the infected skin area, then mix it well.

The dose of gentamicin injection and ointment depends on your health condition, body weight, laboratory tests, and your response to therapy.

If you are using the gentamicin ointment yourself at home, follow all supply and use rules from your healthcare provider. Before using, check this product for contaminated particles or discoloration.

If you notice a change in color and texture of the gentamicin ointment, do not use the product. Read how to store and dispose of them from the brochures provided.

Antibiotics work best when the amount of medicine in your body remains at a constant level. So, use gentamicin injection or ointment at approximately the same intervals.

Continue to use gentamicin ointment until the prescribed one is finished, although symptoms disappear after a few days. Stopping the drug too quickly can allow the bacteria to continue to grow, which can eventually become infected again. Tell your doctor if your condition persists or gets worse.

Follow the rules given by your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment. If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How is gentamicin stored?

Gentamicin, whether in injection or ointment form, is best stored at room temperature, away from direct light and damp places. Don't keep it in the bathroom. Don't freeze it. Other brands of this drug may have different storage rules.

Observe the storage instructions on the product package or ask your pharmacist. Keep all medicines, including gentamicin, out of reach of children and pets.

Do not flush injectable gentamicin and ointment down the toilet or down the drain unless instructed to do so. Discard injectable gentamicin products and ointments when they have expired or when they are no longer needed.

Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company about how to safely dispose of your product.

Gentamicin side effects

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment.

What is the dose of gentamicin for adults?

• Gentamicin dose for dadults due to bacteremia is as much as 1.5-2 mg / kg loading dose, followed by 1-1.7 mg / kg IV or IM every 8 hours or 5-7 mg / kg IV every 24 hours
• Gentamicin dose for dmature because bacterial endocarditis is as much 1.5 mg / kg (maximum 120 mg) IV or IM once every 30 minutes before starting the procedure.
• The adult dose of gentamicin for bacterial infections is as much 1.5-2 mg / kg loading dose, followed by 1-1.7 mg / kg IV or IM every 8 hours or 5-7 mg / kg IV every 24 hours.
• Adult gentamicin dosage for brucellosis is as much 2 mg / kg loading dose, followed by 1.7 mg / kg IV or IM every 8 hours or 5 mg / kg IV every 24 hours.
• Adult gentamicin dosage for external burns : 2-2.5 mg / kg loading dose, followed by 1.7-2 mg / kg IV q8hr.
• Gentamicin de dosageWasa for Cystic Fibrosis is as much 5-10 mg / kg / day in 2-4 divided doses over time.
• The adult dose of gentamicin for endometriosis is as much 2 mg / kg loading dose, followed by 1.5 mg / kg IV or IM every 8 hours
• Gentamicin ointment dosage is as much3-4 times a day

What is the dose of gentamicin for children?

Child dosage for bacterial infections

• For ages 0-4 weeks, with a birth weight of less than 2 kg, please be given a dose of 2.5 mg / kg by infusion or injection of 18-24 hours
• For ages 0-1 weeks, birth weight of more than 2 kg please be given 2.5 mg / kg IV or IM every 12 hours
• For children 1-4 weeks of age, birth weight of about 2 kilograms, can be given a dose of 2.5 mg / kg IV or IM every 8-12 hours
• For children aged 1-4 weeks, birth weight more than 2 kilograms, can be given a dose of 2.5 mg / kg IV or IM every 8 hours
• For children 1 month and older, a dose of 1-2.5 mg / kg IV or IM every 8 hours can be given

Child dosage for the prophylaxis of Bacterial Endocarditis is as much as 1.5 mg / kg IV or IM once every 30 minutes before the procedure

Child dosage for surgical prophylaxis is as much as 2 mg / kg IV once at induction of anesthesia

In what dosage is gentamicin available?

Gentamicin is a drug that is available in the following dosages.

Gentamicin Sulfate injection in 0.9% Sodium Chloride in VIAFLEX Plus plastic containers is available in the following sizes and concentrations:

• 60 mg
• 80 mg
• 100 mg
• 120 mg

Meanwhile, gentamicin ointment is available in the following sizes:

• 15 grams: every 1 gram of ointment contains 1.0 mg of gentamicin

Gentamicin Drug Warnings and Cautions

What side effects can be experienced due to gentamicin?

The side effects of antibiotics that often appear are nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or lack of appetite. Pain, irritation, redness at injection site may occur.

Gentamicin has the potential to cause serious kidney and nerve damage, leading to the risk of permanent deafness and balance problems. Tell your doctor if you feel a ringing or roaring sound, deafness, dizziness, or an unusual drop in the amount of urine.

Not everyone experiences the following side effects. There may be some side effects not listed above. If you have concerns about certain side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Gentamicin Drug Interactions

What should be known before using gentamicin?

You must do the following before using gentamicin, either in the form of injection or ointment:

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to amikacin (Amikin), gentamicin, kanamycin (Kantrex), neomycin, netilmicin (Netromycin), streptomycin, tobramycin (Nebcin), or any other medication.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist any prescription and nonprescription drugs you are taking, especially diuretics ('water pill'), cisplatin (Platinol), amphotericin (Amphotec, Fungizone), other antibiotics, and vitamins.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney disease, vertigo, deafness, ringing in your ears, myasthenia gravis, or Parkinson's disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant and are taking Gentamicin, contact your doctor. Gentamicin can harm the fetus.

Dos and don'ts when taking gentamicin antibiotics:

While you are on medication that requires you to take antibiotics, there are things you can and shouldn't do.

This is because antibiotics may be able to kill some bacteria but then leave some other resistant bacteria, which then grow and develop in your body. Here are some things you shouldn't do while on antibiotics:

1. Do not spend on drugs

Don't stop using gentamicin ointment or injection when you feel much better. It may kill bacteria, but only a few.

Bacteria that have been resistant will come back with a stronger resistance, even later when the same disease recurs. Instead, ask your doctor how much longer the gentamicin injection or ointment is used.

2. Change the doctor's dose

Do not reduce the dose that has been prescribed by your doctor. Antibiotics are also not recommended to be consumed at the same time two times when you forget to take medication. This will actually increase the potential for antibiotics to become resistant, or other side effects such as abdominal pain and diarrhea.

3. Share antibiotics with others

This will actually delay healing and trigger bacterial immunity. A person's antibiotic needs vary, so your antibiotic dose is not necessarily the same as someone else's.

4. Taking antibiotics to prevent infection

Antibiotics cannot prevent infection. So don't think about using an antibiotic to avoid an infection.

5. Using antibiotics to treat diseases caused by viruses

Antibiotics can only fight bacteria, not viruses.

6. Leaving antibiotics for pain in the future

Because antibiotics must be taken completely or according to the dosage your doctor prescribes, leaving antibiotics means you didn't meet all the required doses.

After all, the next time you get sick, you will still need new prescriptions and doses, not just continuing the previous one.

Is gentamicin safe for pregnant and lactating women?

There are no adequate studies regarding the risks of using this drug in pregnant or breastfeeding women. Always consult your doctor to weigh the potential benefits and risks before using this medication. This drug is included in the risk of pregnancy category D according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The following references the pregnancy risk categories according to the FDA:

• A = No risk,
• B = not at risk in several studies,
• C = May be risky,
• D = There is positive evidence of risk,
• X = Contraindicated,
• N = Unknown

Studies in women suggest that this drug poses minimal risk to the baby if used while breastfeeding. Antibiotics are drugs used to fight bacterial infections.

In addition, although they can fight infection-causing bacteria, antibiotics can kill some of the bacteria that are beneficial to the body. This can hinder your body's ability to prevent and fight disease, so medications must be chosen carefully.

If doctors prescribe antibiotics when they are not needed, the patient may be exposed to risks that could have been avoided. This is especially true during pregnancy, as several drugs have been known to cause chronic malformations.

However, for bacterial infections, such as urinary tract infections and group B strep, antibiotics are the only medication that will help you recover quickly.

Therefore, you must use them even though these antibiotics carry potential risks to your baby. In some cases, not treating the disease will make you more susceptible to recurrent infections and the impact will be far more dangerous to the baby's health than the effects of antibiotics.

Gentamicin overdose

What medicines may interact with gentamicin?

Drug interactions can change the performance of your medications or increase the risk of serious side effects. Not all possible drug interactions are listed in this document.

Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription or non-prescription drugs and herbal products) and consult your doctor or pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of gentamicin injection and ointment without your doctor's approval.

Using injectable gentamicin and ointment with the drugs below is usually not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this drug or change some of the drugs you use.

• Amifampridine
• Ataluren

Using this drug with other drugs is usually not recommended, but may be needed in some cases. If the two drugs are prescribed together, your doctor may have changed the dose or frequency of use of one or both drugs.

• Alcuronium
• Atracurium
• Cidofovir
• Cisatracurium
• Colistemethate Sodium
• Decamethonium
• Doxacurium
• Ethacrynic Acid
• Fazadinium
• Furosemide
• Gallamine
• Hexafluorenium
• Lysine
• Metocurine
• Mivacurium
• Pancuronium
• Pipecuronium
• Rapacuronium
• Rocuronium
• Succinylcholine
• Tacrolimus
• Tubocurarine
• Vancomycin
• Vecuronium

Drug interactions can increase your risk of serious side effects, but using both drugs may be the best therapy for you. If the two drugs are prescribed together, your doctor may have changed the dose or frequency of use of one or both drugs.

• Indomethacin
• Methoxyflurane
• Polygeline

Can food or alcohol interact with gentamicin?

Certain drugs should not be used with meals or when eating certain foods because drug interactions can occur.

Consuming alcohol or tobacco with certain drugs can also cause interactions to occur, including injectable gentamicin and ointments. Discuss your use of drugs with food, alcohol, or tobacco with your health care provider.

What health conditions can interact with gentamicin?

Any other health problem in your body can affect the use of gentamicin injection and ointment. Tell your doctor if you have other health problems, in particular:

• Asthma
• History of sulfite allergy — this medication contains sodium metabisulfite which can cause an allergic reaction in patients with this condition
• Hypocalcemia (low calcium level in the blood)
• Hypokalemia (low potassium levels in the blood)
• Hypomagnesemia (low magnesium levels in the blood) - must be corrected before using this medication. If the condition is not corrected, this drug can increase the risk of more serious side effects
• Kidney disease - Use with caution. The effect can be increased due to slower removal of the drug from the body
• Severe kidney disease
• Muscle problems
• Myasthenia gravis (severe muscle weakness)
• Nerve problems - use with caution. May worsen the condition

Overdose

What should I do in an emergency or overdose?

In case of an emergency or drug overdose, contact the local emergency services provider (112) or immediately to the nearest hospital emergency department.

What should I do if I miss a dose?

If you forget a dose of gentamicin injection and ointment, use it as soon as possible. However, when it is nearing the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and return to the usual dosing schedule. Don't double the dose.