Amikacin

Excerpt

Amikacin is an antimicrobial with activity against more resistant gram-negative bacilli such as Acinetobacter baumanii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It also has excellent activity against most aerobic gram-negative bacilli from the Enterobacteriaceae family, including Nocardia sp. and some Mycobacterium spp. (M. avium-intracellulare, M. chelonae, and M. fortuitum). Unlike gentamicin, amikacin does not provide synergistic activity against Enterococcus faecium when combined with beta-lactam antibiotics. This activity covers amikacin, its mechanism, activity spectrum, and its place in an infectious disease regimen. Members of the interprofessional team need to review its indications, coverage, contraindications, and adverse event profile to optimally manage patients with infectious disease.