title: Determination of serum gentamicin sulfate levels: ordering patterns and use as a guide to therapy.
abstract: Determination of serum gentamicin levels (SGLs) is helpful in monitoring therapy in patients receiving this drug because there is a narrow therapeutic margin and serum levels may vary greatly between patients receiving similar doses. During a ten-month period, definite indications for obtaining SGL determinations were present for 189 of 212 serum samples (89.2%) submitted to the laboratory. However, 110 samples (51.9%) were improperly drawn and results of 85 samples (40.1%) were ignored. Only 26 of the 62 correctly drawn and not ignored samples (41.9%) were appropriately acted on. At most, 42 of the 212 samples (19.8%) were appropriately used in making patient-care decisions. Thus, in this study, an inordinatley large number of SGLs were incorrectly drawn, apparently ignored, or inappropriately used in making patient-care decisions.
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins