Kanamycin indications and usage
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Indications and Usage
To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of Kanamycin Injection and other antibacterial drugs, Kanamycin Injection should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy. In the absence of such data, local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns may contribute to the empiric selection of therapy.
Kanamycin injection is indicated in the shortterm treatment of serious infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated microorganisms below. Bacteriological studies to identify the causative organisms and to determine their susceptibility to kanamycin should be performed. Therapy may be instituted prior to obtaining the results of susceptibility testing.
Kanamycin may be considered as initial therapy in the treatment of infections where one or more of the following are the known or suspected pathogens:
- E. coli
- Proteus species (both indole-positive and indole-negative)
- Enterobacter aerogenes
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Serratia marcescens
- Acinetobacter species
The decision to continue therapy with the drug should be based on results of the susceptibility tests, the response of the infection to therapy, and the important additional concepts contained in the WARNING box above.
In serious infections when the causative organisms are unknown, kanamycin injection, may be administered as initial therapy in conjunction with a penicillin- or cephalosporin-type drug before obtaining results of susceptibility testing. If anaerobic organisms are suspected, consideration should be given to using other suitable antimicrobial therapy in conjunction with kanamycin.
Although kanamycin is not the drug of choice for staphylococcal infections, it may be indicated under certain conditions for the treatment of known or suspected staphylococcal disease. These situations include the initial therapy of severe infections where the organism is thought to be either a Gram-negative bacterium or a Staphylococcus, infections due to susceptible strains of staphylococci in patients allergic to other antibiotics, and mixed staphylococcal/Gram-negative infections.[1]
References
Adapted from the FDA Package Insert.