Elimination of bacteria in biliary tract infections during ceftizoxime therapy.

A transpapillary indwelling catheter was inserted to prevent stone impaction in six female patients who were suffering from choledocholithiasis. The bile withdrawn via the catheter was infected on six occasions with Escherichia coli. In one of these cases Klebsiella sp. and in another Salmonella sp. were also identified. All bacteria were sensitive to ceftizoxime (the MIC was between 0.007 and 0.06 mg/l). The bacterial counts in the bile were determined before and during treatment by means of membrane filtration. In all six cases there was a rapid decline in the colony count. The concentration of ceftizoxime in bile samples was several times higher than the MIC of ceftizoxime for the corresponding pathogens. Overall, the therapeutic results with ceftizoxime were good. Three of eight pathogens were eliminated from the bile within eight to 24 hours. In one case a change of pathogen was seen after 24 hours. Forty-eight hours after beginning treatment, four of eight pathogens had been eliminated from the bile. After 72 hours the colony count in six patients was less than 10 pathogens/ml. In two patients a change of pathogen occurred; in one patient treatment had to be stopped after the first injection because of urticaria.