Gentamicin Health Dictionary

A group of antibiotics usually reserved for use in patients with severe infections. They are e?ective against a wide range of BACTERIA including some gram-positive and many gram-negative organisms (see GRAM’S STAIN). Aminoglycosides must be used cautiously because they can damage the inner ear – thus affecting hearing – and the kidneys. Examples of this group are AMIKACIN and GENTAMICIN (e?ective against Pseudomonas aeuriginosa), NEOMYCIN (used only for topical administration for skin infections), and STREPTOMYCIN (e?ective in combination with other drugs against Mycobacterium tuberculosis).... aminoglycosides

One of the AMINOGLYCOSIDES, amikacin is a semi-synthetic derivative of KANAMYCIN, which is used to treat infections caused by microorganisms resistant to GENTAMICIN and TOBRAMYCIN.... amikacin

Also known as undulant fever, or Malta fever.

Causes In Malta and the Mediterranean littoral, the causative organism is the bacterium Brucella melitensis which is conveyed in goat’s milk. In Great Britain, the US and South Africa, the causative organism is the Brucella abortus, which is conveyed in cow’s milk: this is the organism which is responsible for contagious abortion in cattle. In Great Britain brucellosis is largely an occupational disease and is now prescribed as an industrial disease (see OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES), and insured persons who contract the disease at work can claim industrial injuries bene?t. The incidence of brucellosis in the UK has fallen from more than 300 cases a year in 1970 to single ?gures.

Symptoms The characteristic features of the disease are undulating fever, drenching sweats, pains in the joints and back, and headache. The liver and spleen may be enlarged. The diagnosis is con?rmed by the ?nding of Br. abortus, or antibodies to it, in the blood. Recovery and convalescence tend to be slow.

Treatment The condition responds well to one of the tetracycline antibiotics, and also to gentamicin and co-trimoxazole, but relapse is common. In chronic cases a combination of streptomycin and one of the tetracyclines is often more e?ective.

Prevention It can be prevented by boiling or pasteurising all milk used for human consumption. In Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Canada the disease has disappeared following its eradication in animals. Brucellosis has been eradicated from farm animals in the United Kingdom.... brucellosis

A type of antibiotic drug. Aminoglycoside drugs are given by injection and are generally reserved for the treatment of serious infections because their use can damage the inner ear or kidneys. Important examples are gentamicin and streptomycin, which are also used topically for eye and ear infections.... aminoglycoside drugs

a disease of the inner ear characterized by episodes of deafness, buzzing in the ears (*tinnitus), and *vertigo. Typically the attacks are preceded by a sensation of fullness in the ear. Symptoms last for several hours and between attacks the affected ear may return to normal, although hearing does tend to deteriorate gradually with repeated attacks. It is thought to be caused by the build-up of fluid in the inner ear. Drug treatments include *prochlorperazine to reduce vertigo in acute attacks and *betahistine as prophylactic treatment. *Transtympanic injections of steroids into the middle ear are sometimes utilized. Alternatively, ototoxic drugs, such as *gentamicin, can be injected through the eardrum into the middle ear to deliberately damage the *vestibular apparatus and hence reduce activity in the inner ear. Surgical procedures used include decompression or drainage of the *endolymphatic sac, *vestibular nerve section, and *labyrinthectomy. Medical name: endolymphatic hydrops. [P. Ménière (1799–1862), French physician]... ménière’s disease