Kanamycin Antibiotic - Uses and Precautions

Kanamycin is an antibiotic medication used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, such as urinary tract infections and certain respiratory infections. It is part of the aminoglycoside class of antibiotics and functions by disrupting bacterial protein synthesis.

Kanamycin FAQ

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What is kanamycin used for?

Kanamycin is indicated for short-term treatment of bacterial infections caused by one or more of the following pathogens: E. coli, Proteus species (both indole-positive and indole-negative), Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, and Acinetobacter species.

What is the mechanism of action of kanamycin?

The mechanism of action for kanamycin and any aminoglycoside antibiotic is performed in three steps. Step 1. Kanamycin enters the cell through a self-promoted uptake mechanism. Self-promoted uptake involves the displacement of divalent cations from lipopolysaccharides by the polycationic aminoglycosides.

What are the components of kanamycin?

Kanamycin is a mixture of three main components: kanamycin A, B, and C. Kanamycin A is the major component in kanamycin. The effects of these components do not appear to be widely studied as individual compounds when used against prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. [citation needed]

What are the side effects of kanamycin?

Some local irritation or pain may follow the intramuscular injection of kanamycin. Other adverse reactions of the drug reported on rare occasions are skin rash, drug fever, headache, paresthesia, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.