Amikacin treatment of pulmonary infections involving gentamicin-resistant gram-negative bacilli

Twelve patients with pulmonary infections presumably involving gentamicin-resistant gram-negative bacilli were evaluated for their response to amikacin therapy. All patients had hospital-acquired infections for which they had been previously treated and were considered therapeutic failures with gentamicin or tobramycin. Assessment of response to amikacin therapy showed objective evidence of clinical improvement in 11. The gentamicin-resistant organism was eradicated in nine patients although, in the majority, other gram-negative bacilli persisted in respiratory tract secretions both during and after treatment. There was one clinical failure.