Biliary Levels of Carbenicillin: Experimental and Clinical Study

Abstract

The biliary excretion of carbenicillin was studied in three different ways—in the experimentally perfused rabbit liver, in normal subjects following duodenal intubation and in cholecystectomized patients with external biliary drainage In all of these circumstances the biliary concentration of carbenicillin parallels the serum level of antibiotic very closely. On account of the weak or non-existent antibiotic activity in hepatic tissue at the end of the perfusion procedure the hypothesis is put forward that carbenicillin is inactivated by the rabbit liver. The high biliary concentrations of carbenicillin obtained following the administration of the antibiotic in relatively modest doses would favour its use in the treatment of biliary infections.