An assessment of the potential of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the analysis of cesium in liquid samples of biological origin.

The present study describes the development of an analytical method for the determination of cesium in biological fluid samples (human urine and blood samples) by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The developed method is based on sample presentation by liquid-to-solid conversion, enhancing the emission signal by drying the liquid into small "pockets" created in a metal support (zinc plate), and allows the analysis to be carried out on as little as 1 μL of sample volume, in a closed sample cell. Absolute detection limits on the Cs I 852.

Hospital antibiotic management in Hungary--results of the ABS maturity survey of the ABS International group.

Background: The prudent use of antibiotics is considered a very important issue in hospitals throughout Europe. The project ABS International developed a questionnaire to survey antibiotic-related structures and services in the hospitals of participating countries. This article describes the situation in Hungary.