Health Centres - Tobramycin injection
How does it work?
Tobramycin is a type of medicine called an aminoglycoside antibiotic. It is used to treat infections caused by bacteria.
Tobramycin works by affecting the production of proteins that are necessary for the bacteria's survival. It causes the bacteria to produce abnormal and faulty proteins and this ultimately kills the bacteria, thereby treating the infection.
Tobramycin is not absorbed from the gut and is therefore only given by injection or infusion (drip). It is only used in the treatment of serious infections.
To make sure the bacteria causing an infection are susceptible to tobramycin, your doctor may take a tissue sample, for example a swab from the skin, or a blood, urine or sputum sample.
What is it used for?
- Bacterial infections of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), for example meningitis or blood poisoning (septicaemia)
- Bacterial infections of the stomach and intestines, eg peritonitis
- Bacterial infections of the bile duct or gall bladder
- Complicated and recurrent bacterial infections of the urinary tract (eg cystitis) or kidneys (pyelonephritis)
-
Inflammation of the prostate gland due to bacterial infection
- Bacterial infections of the lungs, eg pneumonia, bronchopneumonia or acute bronchitis
- Bacterial infections of skin or soft tissue, including burns
- Bacterial infections of bone.
Warning!
- This type of medicine can cause side effects on the kidneys and ears, particularly if used in high doses or for prolonged periods of time. For this reason, your kidney function and hearing should be monitored during treatment.
- You should let your doctor know if you experience any hearing loss, sensation of ringing or other noise (tinnitus) in the ears, dizziness or unsteadiness at any point during treatment.
- The levels of electolytes such as calcium, magnesium and sodium in your blood should also be monitored while you are having treatment with this medicine.
- Wherever possible, a course of treatment with this medicine should not exceed seven to ten days. If treatment is needed for longer than this, additional monitoring for side effects may be needed.
- This medicine must not be given by injection into the spinal column (intrathecal injection).
Use with caution in
- newborn babies and infants
- elderly people
- decreased kidney function
- obesity
- dehydration
- disorders involving muscle weakness, such as Parkinson's disease.
Not to be used in
- allergy to other aminoglycoside antibiotics, eg gentamicin
- the muscular condition myasthenia gravis.
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
- This medicine may be harmful to a developing foetus and should not be used during pregnancy unless considered essential by your doctor. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
- This medicine passes into breast milk. As the antibiotic is only poorly absorbed from the gut it is not expected to cause serious side effects on a nursing infant. However, it could alter the natural balance of bacteria in the gut of the child, or cause other side effects. As a result, it is recommended that mothers should avoid breastfeeding and bottlefeed instead while being treated with this medicine. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.
Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
- Changes in kidney function
- Damage to hearing
- Damage to the vestibular function within the ear. Symptoms include dizziness, sensations of ringing or other noise in the ears (tinnitus), vertigo, unsteadiness or loss of balance
- Rash or itching
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Decrease in the levels of magnesium, sodium, calcium or potassium in the blood
- Disturbances in the normal levels of blood cells in the blood
- Fever
- Confusion
- Lethargy
- Pain at the injection site
- Inflammation of the large intestine (colitis)
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.
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