[Culture studies of the bile during transhepatic cholangiography]

A bacterial examination was carried out on bile taken from 119 patients undergoing transhepatic percutaneous cholangiography (P.T.C.) due to biliary obstruction. Bacteria were found in 36.9% of cases, with greater frequency in cases of benign obstructions (69.6%) than malignant obstructions (27.2%). The extent of obstruction was found to make no difference (stenotic or obstructive). These results therefore confirm that a risk of infectious complications during P.T.C. exist. Susceptibility studies carried out on bile bacteria showed gentamycin to be the most effective antibiotic in the prevention and treatment of infection in these cases.