This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Aminoglycosides: not necessarily a thing of the past

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on .

Subscribe

Added to email alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

Back to Healio

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.

Back to Healio

NEW YORK --- While fourth-generation fluoroquinolones unquestionably lead the pack in terms of contemporary ocular antibiotics, aminoglycosides may still be useful in fighting certain bacterial strains, according to a presentation here at the Fourth Annual Primary Care Optometry News Symposium Saturday.

“Why don’t we use aminoglycosides anymore?” asked Robert Prouty, OD, FAAO, in a presentation on contemporary antibiotic treatment. “Well, they are less effective (than fourth-generation fluoroquinolones) in gram-negative coverage and much less effective in gram-positive coverage. We’re seeing a large emphasis away from them. But they’re still a good gun to have in your armamentarium.”

“Kirk Smick, OD, FAAO, who shared the podium for the antibiotic presentation, questioned the value of aminoglycosides. “Why recommend aminoglycosides?” he asked.

“According to course director Michael D. DePaolis, OD, FAAO, certain strains of Pseudomonas are resistant to fourth-generation fluoroquinolones, yet are still sensitive to aminoglycosides such as tobramycin. “These strains of Pseudomonas are red herrings,” he said. “In these cases, aminoglycosides could be used as an add-on.”