Monitoring aminoglycocide with narrow therapeutic index and high risk for ototoxicity and neurotoxicity.

Gentamicin can be requested as:

Neonatal Gentamicin (22 hours post dose, for neonates to 30 days only).

Pre-Dose - 30 minutes before the following dose (do not delay administration of the next dose)

Post Dose - 6 hours after a dose of gentamicin.

Random - only on Pharmacy/ Infectious Diseases Unit advice.

AUC calculations are not provided by the pathology laboratory.

Request must specify dose, route, time(s) of dose/infusion and sample collection time

Monitoring:

Pre and post dose levels are applicable only to patients with endocarditis [dosing usually tds (8 hourly) but occasionally bd (12 hourly) or once daily].

For once daily dosing (non-endocarditis), both levels are 'post' (at 30 minutes and 6 hours after the dose).

Random gentamicin levels may be performed if requested, as advised by pharmacy.

Angliss, Box Hill and Maroondah pharmacy staff will calculate appropriate dosing using these levels and recommend dose adjustment if required. Contact pharmacy for this service.

All Gentamicin requests on neonates from Angliss must be treated as URGENT and sent via taxi directly to BHH for analysis.