Tobramycin Trough, Serum

Laboratory assay overview

Tobramycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic used in the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections, especially Pseudomonas, Proteus, Klebsiella and also Staphylococcus. Tobramycin is potentially nephrotoxic and ototoxic and serial monitoring of peak and trough serum levels may provide the clinician with information to maintain safe and therapeutic levels.

Laboratory assay overview

Tobramycin is administered to treat serious infections caused by aerobic gram-negative bacilli (eg, a number of the Enterobacteriaceae, P aeruginosa ). These include lower respiratory tract, intra-abdominal, soft tissue, bone or joint, wound, and complicated urinary tract infections; bacteremias; and meningitis. Tobramycin frequently is the aminoglycoside of choice for infections caused by P aeruginosa because of its greater in vitro activity against this organism; however, superior clinical efficacy is unproven. It usually is given in combination with an antipseudomonal penicillin for severe, systemic P aeruginosa infections. Some infectious disease experts have preferred the more costly tobramycin to gentamicin for general use in hospitals where resistance is not a problem because it appears to be less nephrotoxic; however, this does not appear to be warranted when all of the available data are evaluated. Amikacin is the aminoglycoside of choice in hospitals where gentamicin and tobramycin resistance is a problem.

Laboratory assay overview

Tobramycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic used in the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections, especially Pseudomonas, Proteus, Klebsiella and also Staphylococcus. Tobramycin is potentially nephrotoxic and ototoxic and serial monitoring of peak and trough serum levels may provide the clinician with information to maintain safe and therapeutic levels.