Which of the following statements about the clinical uses of the aminoglycosides is FALSE?
Aminoglycosides: The aminoglycosides are polar in nautre and therefore are poorly absorbed from the GI tract generally less than 1% is absorbed. Their action depends upon oxygen dependent system on cell membrane of bacteria that helps to transpo the drug into the cell. So they are effective only for aerobic organisms only. Not for anaerobic organisms. Since Bacteroides fragilis is a anaerobic bacteria, aminoglycosides are not effective in this case. Aminoglycosides are bactericidal drugs. The bactericidal effect of aminoglycosides is concentration dependent; that is, efficacy is dependent on the maximum concentration (Cmax) of drug above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the organisms. Aminoglycosides frequently are used in combination with a cell wall active agent (b-lactam or glycopeptide) to provide synergistic bacterial killing and to prevent the emergence of resistance to the individual agents. This clinical response is most well established for the treatment of endocarditis due to gram-positive organisms, most impoantly Enterococcus
Owing to their polar nature, aminoglycosides are not absorbed following oral administration
Aminoglycosides are often used in combination with cephalosporins in the empirical treatment of life-threatening bacterial infections
The spectrum of antimicrobial activity of aminoglycosides includes Bacteroides fragilis
Gentamicin is used with ampicillin for synergistic effects in the treatment of enterococcal endocarditis
Protein Synthesis Inhibitors