Abstract

Six aminoglycosides (amikacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, netilmicin, streptomycin and tobramycin) are licensed for parenteral use in the UK. As a group, they remain effective against infections caused by aerobic gram-negative organisms and Staphylococcus aureus, including species commonly resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. However, their use is limited by the severity of their unwanted effects and by their route and frequency of administration; traditionally, they have been given intravenously two to four times daily. Increasingly, they are being given once daily in an attempt to simplify treatment without reducing efficacy or increasing toxicity.1^,2 Here we evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this once-daily approach.