End of Week 1 summary

In the video above, Yasir Sacranie summarises the topics covered throughout this week.

Aminoglycosides are a class of antibiotics used to treat severe infections, particularly those caused by Gram-negative aerobic bacteria. Such conditions include sepsis, endocarditis, complicated UTI and pyelonephritis. Combination therapies of aminoglycosides with other antibacterial agents are required when treating infections caused by streptococci and anaerobes, as they cannot enter these bacteria and so lack activity against them (intrinsic/innate resistance). Important side effects of aminoglycosides include nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity.

We hope you have enjoyed the first week of this course on aminoglycosides.

You should now have a better understanding of:

• How aminoglycosides work.
• What bacteria aminoglycosides are effective against and their mechanism of action.
• The clinical conditions in which aminoglycosides are used, as well as their roles in empirical therapy, combination therapy and prophylaxis.
• The main risks and adverse events associated with their use and risk factors for developing these.

In the coming week, you will explore aminoglycosides further with an introduction to their general pharmacokinetics (PK). Additionally, you will learn about different dosing strategies, how to calculate dosing and adjust for various patient factors, and the importance of TDM, with the opportunity to apply this knowledge within a case study.

Take some time to consolidate what you have learned this week, and let us know in the comments below what you enjoyed and what you are looking forward to in Week 2.