Objective: To evaluate whether the addition of tobramycin further compromises renal function in inflammatory response-induced acute kidney injury. Effective antibiotic treatment in septic shock is crucial for the outcome. The combination of aminoglycosides with different beta-lactam antibiotics offers a broad antimicrobial coverage, rapid bacterial killing, synergistic effects, and low antibiotic-induced endotoxin release. However, aminoglycosides have nephrotoxic effects that may aggravate sepsis-induced acute kidney injury.
Design: Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled experimental study.
Setting: University research unit.
Subjects: Twenty-four healthy pigs.
Interventions: The animals were anesthetized and randomized to four groups. Groups I (n = 8) and II (n = 8) received endotoxin infusion for 6 hrs, whereas groups III (n = 4) and IV (n = 4) received saline. Groups I and III received 7 mg/kg of tobramycin 20 mins after the initiation of the protocol, whereas groups II and IV received saline.
Measurements and main results: The renal elimination rate of a bolus dose of cefuroxime was chosen as the primary end point. Renal function was also evaluated by urine output, creatinine clearance, plasma cystatin C, plasma urea, and urine NAG (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucoaminidase). After 3 hrs, there were significantly lower cefuroxime elimination rates in the two endotoxin groups than in the nonendotoxin groups. No difference in cefuroxime elimination rates between groups I and II could be detected at any time point. Similarly, there were changes indicating acute kidney injury in urine output, creatinine clearance, and plasma cystatin C in the endotoxin groups with no differences between groups I and II. Plasma urea and urine NAG did not differ between any of the groups.
Conclusions: The result of this study does not lend any support to the hypothesis that a single dose of tobramycin enhances the risk of acute renal failure in cases with systemic inflammatory response-induced acute kidney injury.