Patient was educated on the side effects of using Gentamicin as follows:
- Diarrhea
- Human intestines have a lot of bacteria, both good and bad, living in a sensitive balance with each other.
- This helps maintain the normal natural intestinal environment. Gentamicin works by killing the bacteria.
- While doing this, Gentamicin does not differentiate between good and bad bacteria.
- Consequently, apart from killing the bad infectious bacteria, Gentamicin also kills the good bacteria in the intestinal system, thus compromising the balance between good and bad bacteria.
- This can result in reduction in the number of good bacteria and increase in the number of Gentamicin resistant bad bacteria, leading to irritation of the intestinal mucosa and diarrhea.
- Diarrhea secondary to the clostridium difficile bacteria in the intestines, is a standard example for this.
- Renal damage
- Acute renal failure with little or absolutely no urine formation happens to be one major side effect of Gentamicin intake.
- Renal injury and altered kidney function can result in increased creatinine levels in the body, accumulation of other wastes resulting in altered levels of consciousness, abrupt weight gain and fluid retention, secondary to reduced urine formation.
- Renal function can be reversible after discontinuation of Gentamicin.
- Individuals in dehydration are more prone to renal damage with Gentamicin.
- Central nervous system findings
- Gentamicin use can sometimes result in severe dizziness, confusion, hallucinations, tremors, and seizures.
- Skin rash and itching
- Gentamicin use can result in less serious side effects of itching and skin rash.
