Biliary penetration of cefbuperazone in the presence and absence of obstructive jaundice.

In thirteen patients with normal liver function, the mean concentrations of cefbuperazone in hepatic bile, gall bladder bile and gallbladder tissue 30 min after injection were 1134.8 +/- 36.8 (mean +/- S.E.M.) mg/l, 6.6 +/- 3.0 mg/l and 26.1 +/- 7.6 mg/l, respectively. In patients with obstructive jaundice, cefbuperazone concentrations in bile were 99 +/- 29.2 mg/l (mean +/- S.E.M.) 1 h post-dose and decreased to 13.9 +/- 5.1 mg/l 6 h post-dose. In both groups of patients biliary concentrations of cefbuperazone were higher than the MICs of most organisms causing biliary infection.