A radioligand receptor binding assay for ciguatoxin monitoring in environmental samples: Method development and determination of quality control criteria.

Ciguatoxins are algal toxins responsible for tens of thousands of human intoxications yearly, both in tropical and subtropical endemic regions as well as worldwide through fish exportation. Previously developed methods for biotoxin surveillance in the environment and seafood include analytical methods and in vivo and in vitro bioassays. The radioligand receptor binding assay (r-RBA) is among the in vitro methodologies currently used for the detection and quantification of marine biotoxins.

[A mortality study in the Internal Medicine Emergency Service of October 12 Hospital during 1989].

152,902 patients were attended at the Emergency Department of "12 de Octubre" Hospital during 1989; 48,701 of them were seen in the Internal Medicine area. 196 dead, 164 case histories were selected in order to fulfil the protocol. Several variants were analysed, such as age, sex, diagnosis, time spent at the hospital, quality of life, date, etc.