Neuromuscular-Blocking Action of Streptomycin

The Electromyographic Changes Induced by Antibiotics

“…In all reports published previously, patients suffering from respiratory weakness shortly after an operation received antibiotics by various meth ods [2,5,6,12]. This weakness was relieved by calcium [1,4,10], neo stigmine or edrophonium [1,2,5,6,9,14].…”

“…There are reports on record of patients who did not suffer previously from any neuromuscular condition, but only after receiving antibiotics de veloped transient myasthenic-like phenomena manifested by respiratory weakness, flaccid paralysis and ocular changes [2,5,6,10,12,13].…”

The Effect of Streptomycin and Colistin on Myasthenic Patients

“…This blockade induced by neomycin, streptomycin and viomycin was reversed by neostigmin [1,2,5,10,11,13]. This effect seems to be presynaptic [4,7,11].…”

“…This effect seems to be presynaptic [4,7,11]. The clinical reports on record showed that neomycin sulfate, streptomycin, bacitracin, colistin sulfate and kanamycin may produce severe breathing disturbances and other signs similar to myasthenic phenomena [2,5,6,[10][11][12]. Systematic electromyographic studies in human beings demonstrated that antibiotics such as ampicillin and erythromycin given in therapeutic doses are able to disturb at a pre synaptic level the neuromuscular transmission [14], H okkanen [8] showed that single dose of streptomycin sulfate may aggravate rapidly the clinical condition of previously well compensated myasthenic patients.…”

“…This syndrome has been manifested by respiratory weakness or apnea, flaccid paralysis and ocular changes [2,5,6,[10][11][12], Hokkanen stressed the aggravating effect of antibiotics in myasthenic patients [8], The purpose of this paper is to report on three additional myasthenic patients whose condition suddenly worsened during antibiotic treatment.…”