[Biological availability of diagoxin in patients with or without gastric resection (Billroth II) (author's transl)].

Biological availability of digoxin tablets was measured during maintenance therapy in ten hospitalized patients who had had a Billroth II gastric resection at least two years previously. Twelve patients on digoxin maintenance for heart failure but without gastro-intestinal disease served as controls. The mean value of daily digoxin urinary excretion over ten days in the resection group was 38.09 +/- 0.70% of the administered dose. The serum-digitalis level 12 and 24 hours after the last dose of glycoside (0.5 mg) was 1.30 +/- 0.04 ng/ml and did not significantly differ from that of the control group, nor did digoxin elimination in urine and the digoxin/creatinin excretion ratio. It is concluded that two-third gastric resection with exclusion of antigrade duodenal passage does not influence biological availability of digoxin given in tablets.