Merkacin (Amikin)

Amikin is used for treating certain serious bacterial infections. It is an aminoglycoside antibiotic. It works by inhibiting the production of bacterial proteins, which causes bacterial cell death.

Therapeutic actions:
Inhibits protein synthesis in susceptible bacteria by binding to 30S ribosomal subunits.

What is it used for?:
Treatment of HIV infection in combination with other agents.
Aminoglycoside antibiotics, including amikacin, are used primarily to treat infections caused by aerobic gram-negative bacilli. Peak levels are necessary to assure adequate therapeutic levels for organism being treated.

Contraindications and cautions:
• allergy to any ingredient in Amikin or other aminoglycoside antibiotics (eg, gentamicin)

Side effects:
breathing difficulty; loss of balance.

Interactions:
• Anesthetics (eg, succinylcholine) or neuromuscular blockers (eg, tubocurarine) may provoke severe muscle relaxation progressing to paralysis and lack of breathing;
• The risk of kidney damage or hearing loss may be increased by amphotericin B, bacitracin, cephalosporins (eg, cephaloridine), cisplatin, colistin, loop diuretics (eg, furosemide), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (eg, ibuprofen), other aminoglycosides (eg, gentamicin), polymyxin B, or vancomycin.