title: [Aminoglycosides in the treatment of infectious endocarditis].
abstract: The role of aminoglycosides in the treatment of infective endocarditis is well established. The combination of a beta-lactam with an aminoglycoside shortens the treatment of endocarditis due to penicillin-sensitive streptococci (MIC < or = 0.1 micrograms/mL) when compared to beta-lactams alone. Patients at higher risk (e.g. with prosthetic valves, clinical duration of symptoms > 3 months) should be treated with penicillin for 4 weeks in combination with an aminoglycoside for 2 weeks. Once-daily dosing (ODD) of aminoglycosides can be recommended in penicillin-sensitive streptococcal endocarditis. The treatment of endocarditis due to streptococci relatively and/or highly resistant to penicillin requires combined treatment with penicillin plus an aminoglycoside for a longer duration. At present ODD of aminoglycosides cannot be recommended. Enterococcal endocarditis requires combined treatment for 4 to 6 weeks. Based upon experimental data, ODD of aminoglycosides appears to be markedly inferior to q 8 h dosing. Enterococcal isolates should be screened for high-level resistance to streptomycin and gentamicin. Gentamicin is the preferred agent if susceptibility testing is not performed. Aminoglycosides are administered during the initial 3 to 5 days of treatment for staphylococcal endocarditis on native valves in order to shorten the duration of bacteremia. For staphylococcal prosthetic valve endocarditis, aminoglycosides are administered for the initial 2 weeks of treatment. However, there are no reliable clinical data for methicillin-susceptible isolates to support this recommendation. In prosthetic valve endocarditis due to coagulase-negative staphylococci combination with an aminoglycoside appears to suppress the emergence of rifampin-resistant variants during treatment. There are no data on ODD of aminoglycosides in staphylococcal endocarditis. Right-sided staphylococcal endocarditis due to methicillin-susceptible staphylococci is adequately treated with a two-week course of a beta-lactam plus an aminoglycoside. This short regimen can be recommended for low risk patients, e.g. those without significant heart failure and vegetations < 2 cm3 and with an aminoglycoside-susceptible isolate.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Universitätspoliklinik, Inselspital Bern.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malinverni
mesh_terms: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010406:Penicillins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D010400:Penicillin G
vernacular_title: Aminoglykoside in der Behandlung der infektiösen Endokarditis.