ABSTRACT
Kanamycin, a water-soluble basic antibiotic produced by Streptomyces kanamyceticus, was first isolated in 1957. This aminoglycoside contains two aminosugars (6-D-glucosamine and 3-D-glucosamine) linked by ß-glycosidic bonds to the 4 and 6 position of 2-deoxystreptamine, with the commercial preparation being a mixture of kanamycin A and B. One of the most general assessments of kanamycin ototoxicity that can readily be made is that it has greater cochleotoxic than vestibulotoxic properties. The use of kanamycin in children has generally been restricted to a therapeutic regimen of 15 mg/kg/24 hr i.m. with the emphasis that in neonates and in particular premature infants, the glomerular filtration rate is lower and consequently the serum half-life may be extended. In chronic experiments with kanamycin it is known that there is a long perilymph half-life of approximately 10 hr compared to the short plasma half-life of 1 to 2 hr.
