Amikacin is an antibiotic medication used for a number of bacterial infections. This includes joint infections, intra-abdominal infections, meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, and urinary tract infections. It is also used for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. It is used by injection into a vein using an IV or into a muscle.Amikacin, like other aminoglycoside antibiotics, can cause hearing loss, balance problems, and kidney problems. Other side effects include paralysis, resulting in the inability to breathe. If used during pregnancy it may cause permanent deafness in the baby. Amikacin works by blocking the function of the bacterias 30S ribosomal subunit, making it unable to produce proteins.Amikacin was patented in 1971, and came into commercial use in 1976. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. It is derived from kanamycin. Medical uses
Amikacin is most often used for treating severe infections with multidrug-resistant, aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, especially Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, E. coli, Proteus, Klebsiella, and Serratia. The only Gram-positive bacteria that amikacin strongly affects are Staphylococcus and Nocardia. Amikacin can also be used to treat non-tubercular mycobacterial infections and tuberculosis (if caused by sensitive strains) when first-line drugs fail to control the infection.
Treatment
There are a wide range of depigmenting treatments used for hyperpigmentation conditions, and responses to most are variable.Most often treatment of hyperpigmentation caused by melanin overproduction (such as melasma, acne scarring, liver spots) includes the use of topical depigmenting agents, which vary in their efficacy and safety, as well as in prescription rules. Topical treatments
Many topical treatments disrupt the synthesis of melanin by inhibiting the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase.Several are prescription only in the US, especially in high doses, such as hydroquinone, azelaic acid, and kojic acid. Some are available without prescription, such as niacinamide, l-ascorbic acid, retinoids such as tretinoin, or cysteamine hydrochloride. Hydroquinone was the most commonly prescribed hyperpigmentation treatment before the long-term safety concerns were raised, and the use of it became more regulated in several countries and discouraged in general by WHO. For the US only 2% is at present sold over-the-counter, and 4% needs prescription. In the EU hydroquinone was banned from cosmetic applications. Oral
Oral medication with procyanidin plus vitamins A, C, and E also shows promise as safe and effective for epidermal melasma. In an 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 56 Filipino women, treatment was associated with significant improvements in the left and right malar regions, and was safe and well tolerated. Other treatments that do not involve topical agents are also available, including fraction lasers and dermabrasion. Laser treatments
Laser toning using YAG lasers and intense pulsed light have been used to treat hyperpigmentation such as melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. See also
Hypopigmentation
List of skin conditions
Drug-induced pigmentation

References


== External links ==