The excretion of antibiotics by the biliary tract.

Although the clinical significance of a high antibiotic level of the biliary tract has not been proved, few antibiotics are both well excreted and active against the common pathogens of bile. The biliary excretion of these agents is a complex phenomenon which may be altered by a number of host factors. The results of studies on the levels of antimicrobial agents vary with respect to the timing of antibiotic measurement, type of bile sampled, presence or absence of biliary tract obstruction and assessment of data.