Oral dose and faecal concentration of antibiotics during antibiotic decontamination in mice and in a patient.

In both mice and one patient, a similar correlation was found between the oral dose of a ;nonabsorbable' aminoglycoside antibiotic selected for antibiotic decontamination of the digestive tract and the resultant faecal concentration. In mice, absorption of the orally-given antibiotics could only be demonstrated in animals treated with extremely high doses of 1440 mg. per kg. body weight per day. Evidence of absorption of gentamycin was found to occur in a patient after doses as low as 70 mg. per kg. per day.