Secretion of beta-lactam antibiotics in pure human pancreatic juice.

The secretion of cephalothin and cefoxitin in stimulated pure pancreatic juice was studied in 13 persons after intravenous administration of antibiotics. Of all these studied, three had acute relapsing pancreatitis, five chronic pancreatitis, and five were control subjects. Antibiotic levels were measured in paired pure pancreatic juice and serum samples at fixed time intervals after administration. Cephalothin was detected in very low levels (1 to 1.8 micrograms/ml) in the pure pancreatic juice of four of the six persons studied (3 micrograms/ml). Although therapeutic levels were not obtained in stimulated pure pancreatic juice with either antibiotic, additional studies evaluating antibiotic levels in unstimulated pure pancreatic juice and in pancreatic tissue would be helpful in assessing the role of antibiotic therapy in the treatment of pancreatitis.