The biliary excretion and pharmacokinetics of mezlocillin in jaundiced patients with external bile drainage.

The biliary excretion and pharmacokinetics of mezlocillin have been studied in jaundiced patients with total external bile drainage through a percutaneous transhepatic catheter. In 10 of 11 studies, 2 g mezlocillin intravenously resulted in biliary concentrations sufficient to exceed the minimum inhibitory concentrations of most common biliary pathogenic organisms. In 6 h, 0.2-6.2% of the dose given was recovered in bile. The biliary clearance was 0.21-7.82 ml/min and increased with the duration of biliary decompression. The serum half-life of mezlocillin was prolonged (1.81 +/- 0.23 h, mean +/- SD), and was due to reduced biliary and renal clearance.