Amikacin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic used to treat different types of bacterial infections. Amikacin works by binding to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit, causing misreading of mRNAand leaving the bacterium unable to synthesize proteins vital to its growth.

ADMINISTRATION
Amikacin may be administered once or twice a day but must be given by the intravenous or intramuscular route. There is no oral form available. Dosage must be adjusted in people with kidney failure. 

USES
Amikacin is most often used for treating severe, hospital-acquired infections with multidrug resistant Gram negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, and Enterobacter.

Amikacin may be combined with a beta-lactam antibiotic for empiric therapy for people with neutropenia and fever.

• Nosocomial Infections
• Pneumonia & UTI
• Surgical Prophylaxis
• Septicemia
• Bacteraemia
• Gastroenteritis

RESISTANCE
Amikacin has high resistance against bacterial inactivation. It resists attacks by most bacterial inactivating enzymes, this is accomplished by the L-hydroxyaminobuteroyl amide (L-HABA) moiety attached to N-3 which inhibits acetylation, phosphorylation and adenylation in the distant amino sugar ring (C-2,C-3,C-4). To prevent the development of bacterial resistance to this extremely powerful antibiotic, its use is tightly regulated.

SIDE EFFECTS
Amikacin has high resistance against bacterial inactivation. It resists attacks by most bacterial inactivating enzymes, this is accomplished by the L-hydroxyaminobuteroyl amide (L-HABA) moiety attached to N-3 which inhibits acetylation, phosphorylation and adenylation in the distant amino sugar ring (C-2,C-3,C-4). To prevent the development of bacterial resistance to this extremely powerful antibiotic, its use is tightly regulated.