Blood levels of cimetidine in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Blood concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters of cimetidine were studied in 16 patients with liver cirrhosis and in 8 apparently healthy subjects. The drug was administered orally as a single dose of 200 mg. Four patients of both groups were treated with cimetidine orally and intravenously. No statistically significant difference was observed between pharmacokinetic parameters of cimetidine obtained from control subjects and those from patients with liver cirrhosis. The pharmacokinetic parameters of cimetidine in patients with liver cirrhosis did not significantly differ from those of normal patients even if separately calculated with respect to serum albumin and total serum bilirubin.