Prospective comparative study of efficacy and toxicity of netilmicin and amikacin.

Eighty patients were treated with either amikacin or netilmicin in a prospective randomized study of serious gram-negative bacillary infections, including 11 due to gentamicin-resistant pathogens. Thirty-six treated with netilmicin and 35 treated with amikacin were evaluable for efficacy or toxicity, or both. The overall groups differed significantly only in age. There were no significant differences in efficacy of the two drugs. There were no statistically significant differences at the 95% level between the netilmicin group and the amikacin group with respect to nephrotoxic reactions (38 versus 28%, respectively) or ototoxic reactions (9 versus 25%, respectively). Further comparative trials of netilmicin and other aminoglycosides appear warranted before it is widely used.