Which labs should be monitored for aminoglycosides?

Which labs should be monitored for aminoglycosides?

• A. ALT & AST
• B. CBC
• C. BUN & Creatinine
• D. ALP & GGT

Answer: (C)

Aminoglycosides are known to be nephrotoxic, so monitoring kidney function is essential. Checking BUN and creatinine provides a direct measure of how well the kidneys are filtering and can reveal early signs of drug-induced kidney injury, allowing dose adjustments or therapy duration to be modified to prevent further damage. Liver-related tests like ALT/AST or ALP/GGT assess liver or biliary status, which aren’t the primary concerns with aminoglycoside toxicity, so they are not the standard labs for this purpose. A CBC tracks blood counts but doesn’t specifically reflect nephrotoxicity from these drugs. In clinical practice, trough levels of the drug are also monitored to avoid toxicity, but those aren’t shown among the options.

Aminoglycosides are known to be nephrotoxic, so monitoring kidney function is essential. Checking BUN and creatinine provides a direct measure of how well the kidneys are filtering and can reveal early signs of drug-induced kidney injury, allowing dose adjustments or therapy duration to be modified to prevent further damage. Liver-related tests like ALT/AST or ALP/GGT assess liver or biliary status, which aren’t the primary concerns with aminoglycoside toxicity, so they are not the standard labs for this purpose. A CBC tracks blood counts but doesn’t specifically reflect nephrotoxicity from these drugs. In clinical practice, trough levels of the drug are also monitored to avoid toxicity, but those aren’t shown among the options.