Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

KANAMYCIN

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

An aminoglycoside antibiotic which acts by inhibiting protein synthesis in susceptible
bacteria. Active against many strains of Gram- negative bacteria and Gram- positive
Staphylococcus aureus and epidermis. Some strains of Mycobacterium bacterium are
sensitive. Most active in alkaline solution. Intermediate

SYNONYMS

C18-H36-N4-O11, "kanamycin A", "D-streptamine-, ", "D-streptamine-, ", 6-o-(3-amino-3-
deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-4-o-(6-amino-6-deoxy-alpha-, 6-o-(3-amino-3-deoxy-alpha-D-
glucopyranosyl)-4-o-(6-amino-6-deoxy-alpha-, D-glucopyranosyl)-2-deoxy-D-, D-
glucopyranosyl)-2-deoxy-D-, "4, 6-diamino-2-hydroxy-1, 3-cyclohexane-3, 6-'-diamino-3, 6'-
dideoxydi-alpha-", "4, 6-diamino-2-hydroxy-1, 3-cyclohexane-3, 6-'-diamino-3, 6'-
dideoxydi-alpha-", D-glucoside, D-glucoside, glucopyranoside, "kanamicin (sic)", Cantrex,
Kanamicina, Kanamytrex, Kantrex, KM, "antibiotic/ antibacterial/ aminoglucoside/
aminoglycoside"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Accidental ingestion of the material may be damaging to the health of the individual.  May cause irreversible, partial or total deafness when aminoglycoside antibiotics are given by injection, by mouth or when applied as an aerosol to open wounds, or damaged skin. Effects are dose related. Large doses may cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Prolonged oral therapy may cause malabsorption syndrome with steatorrhoea and diarrhoea which may be severe. Supra-infection may occur. Neuromuscular blockade and respiratory depression and arrest may follow intraperitoneal injection.  

EYE

  Although the material is not thought to be an irritant, direct contact with the eye may cause transient discomfort characterized by tearing or conjunctival redness (as with windburn). Slight abrasive damage may also result. The material may produce foreign body irritation in certain individuals.  

SKIN

  The material is not thought to be a skin irritant (as classified using animal models). Abrasive damage however, may result from prolonged exposures. Good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable gloves be used in an occupational setting.  Skin contact with the material may damage the health of the individual; systemic effects may result following absorption.  Open cuts, abraded or irritated skin should not be exposed to this material.  Entry into the blood-stream, through, for example, cuts, abrasions or lesions, may produce systemic injury with harmful effects. Examine the skin prior to the use of the material and ensure that any external damage is suitably protected.  

INHALED

  The material is not thought to produce either adverse health effects or irritation of the respiratory tract following inhalation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, adverse effects have been produced following exposure of animals by at least one other route and good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable control measures be used in an occupational setting.  Persons with impaired respiratory function, airway diseases and conditions such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, may incur further disability if excessive concentrations of particulate are inhaled.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  There is some evidence that human exposure to the material may result in developmental toxicity. This evidence is based on animal studies where effects have been observed in the absence of marked maternal toxicity, or at around the same dose levels as other toxic effects but which are not secondary non-specific consequences of the other toxic effects.  The inhibitory effects of the aminoglycoside antibiotics on calcium ion homeostasis in peripheral neurones, vascular smooth muscle and the myocardium are thought to be the cause of disruption to haemodynamic control mechanisms. Therefore the adverse effect of aminoglycosides on blood circulation does not seem to be due to cytotoxic damage of cardiovascular tissues but is related to a reversible interaction with calcium ion binding sites of excitable membranes. Many of the biological actions of aminoglycosides in mammals, including cellular damage of the kidney an inner ear tissues, are also associated with disturbance of membrane phospholipids where calcium ion is normally distributed. Kerzee, J. Kevin et al: Cardiovascular Toxicology, Part 7, Third Edition; Edited Daniel Acosta Jr.; Published Taylor and Francis 2001.  Exposure to the material for prolonged periods may cause physical defects in the developing embryo (teratogenesis).  Long-term exposure to aminoglycoside antibiotics (such as gentamicin) can damage the kidneys and malabsorption with a fatty, foul-smelling diarrhea. In some patients, there may be hearing loss and damage to the balancing system, after topical application or injection. Respiratory depression and paralysis of muscle has also been caused by this class of antibiotic. Some patients may display visual hallucinations, multiple nerve disorders and brain damage. Especially in those patients receiving cancer chemotherapy, there may be electrolyte imbalance in the blood following long-term use (reduced magnesium, calcium and potassium).