[A significance of measurement of breathing nervous regulation, respiratory resistance and spirometry in clinical toxicology - retrospective review].

Unlabelled: The exogenous central nervous system depressants such opioides, alcohol and carbon monoxide may affect nervous respiratory regulation and lead to disturbances in respiratory system efficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the breathing nervous regulation and ventilatory efficiency in patients treated in Clinical Toxicology, UJCM in Krakow in the period 1994- 2000.

Methods: There were 385 persons under examination: 144 alcohol abusers and 70 opiate abusers (group I), 91 persons treated because of acute carbon monoxide poisoning (group II) and 80 healthy persons - control group.

[Isocyanates and formaldehyde--low molecular weight xenobiotics].

Isocyanates and formaldehyde are a low molecular weight environmental xenobiotics. Acute poisonings are relatively rare, chronic exposure not enough recognized. A source, mechanism of toxicity and ability of those low molecular weight compounds to stimulation of different types of immune response are presented in the study.

[Clinical practice guidelines in dextromethorphan poisoning pre-hospital management].

Guideline for out - of Hospital triage and initial management of patients with suspected ingestion of dextromethorphan is presented in the study. The guideline was created by the American Association of Control Centers to assist poison center personnel while dealing with poison information service.

[Over-the-counter Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in the material of Poison Information Centre].

There were 10 636 toxicological information given in 2004-2008 by the Poison Information Center Jagiellonian University Medical College. 538 of them concerned NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs); 336 cases of NSAIDs ingested alone and 202 co-ingested with other drugs and/or with ethanol. 58,9% of them were intentional and 29,6% were accidental.

[Students knowledge on carbon monoxide toxicity].

The results of questionnaire research on carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in students of State Higher Vocational School in Nowy Sacz (Institutes of Economy, Pedagogic, Technical and Health) are presented in the study. The mean age of the group examined, with a female predomination (77.6%) was 22.

[Clinical practice guidelines in acetaminophen poisoning--pre-hospital management].

We described guidelines for personel working in poison information service in case of acute paracetamol overdose. The guidelines were created with respect to EBM (Evidence Based Medicine) by the American Association of Control Centers.

[Evaluation of cardiovascular autonomic nervous system in ethanol withdrawal].

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to assess the risk factors and state of cardiovascular autonomic nervous system injury in ethanol dependent patients. The group examined consisted of 85 alcoholics (17 females and 68 males) aged from 27 to 68 y (45.7 +/- 8.

[The usage of psychoactive substances among secondary school students in Nowy Sacz].

The results of anonymous questionnaire research on psychoactive substances in two last classes of high school pupils in Nowy Sacz are presented in the study. Only 1.7% of the examined students do not perceive the psychoactive substances as a real problem existing at school, 9.

[System of biocide products control in Poland].

In this article we presented actual legislation concerning biocide products in Poland. Rules of reporting and archiving of biocide products exposure were discussed. We presented the first results of monitoring of biocide poisoning cases in Poland from July 2007 to June 2008.

[Carbohydrate metabolism in acute poisoning with xenobiotics].

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to evaluate carbohydrate metabolism in patients hospitalised because of acute intoxication with xenobiotics.

Material And Methods: An analysis of 3628 patients (1553 females and 2075 males; age: 40.6 +/- 15.

[Evaluation of pituitary-gonadal axis in alcohol dependent males].

Unlabelled: Chronic alcoholism leads to organic damages of nervous system, the liver and the endocrine system. The aim of the study is to evaluate pituitary-gonadal axis in males chronically dependent with alcohol.

Material And Methods: The study group consisted of 50 alcohol dependent men aged 27 to 53 years (40.

[Evaluation of ventilation disorders in alcohol addicted males].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the ventilatory disturbances in alcohol addicted males. The examined group consisted of 59 alcoholics acutely poisoned with ethanol. 30 healthy individuals, occasionally drinkers, were the control group.

[Alcohol consumption and the risk of insulin resistance--population based study].

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between alcohol consumption and insulin resistance in the adult Kraków's inhabitants.

Materials And Methods: 6000 subjects at age 35-75, participants of the Polish Multicenter Study on Diabetes Epidemiology, were randomized and invited to the study. Finally in 2838 participants the standardized questionnaire examination of the life style especially alcohol consumption was performed.

[Evaluation of regional cerebral blood flow using 99mTc-ECD SPECT in ethanol dependent patients: pilot study].

Unlabelled: The depressant actions of ethanol in the brain is known. SPECT is non invasive method to measure the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and to evaluate indirectly the brain metabolism. The aim of the study is to evaluate morphologic and functional status of CNS using 99mTc-ECD SPECT in chronic alcoholics.

Toxic exposure of children in 2004--telephone service of toxicology.

509 toxicological telephone inquiries concerning children under 15 years have been provided by Kraków Poison Information Centre (PIC) in the year 2004. Medication drugs were involved in almost one half (n=208) the cases noted. 63.

[The role of poison information center in the health service structures].

Poison information centres (PIC) provide telephone advice on the treatment of poisonings to the lay public and medical professionals. The number of inquiries increases every year. Poison Information Centre of Collegium Medicum of Jagiellonian University in Krakow provided 1611 items of advice in 1999 and 2263--five years later--in 2004.

B-type natriuretic peptide plasma concentration in acutely poisoned patients.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is synthesized in the cardiac ventricles upon ventricular myocyte stretch. BNP plasma concentration is useful in cardiology especially for identifying patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), as a prognostic marker of acute coronary syndromes and independent predictor of sudden cardiac death. Its value in clinical toxicology is unclear.

Frequency and pattern of poisoning in adult and adolescent Kraków population in 2003 and 1983.

The pattern (frequency, type of exposure, toxic substance) of adolescent and adult poisonings in Kraków in 2003 is compared with 1983. The analysis includes data for poisoned patients treated at the Kraków Department of Clinical Toxicology and all on the spot fatal cases subjected to post-mortem autopsy and toxicological examinations at the Department of Forensic Medicine Jagiellonian University Medical College in both the years. As much as 4341 poisoning cases (2852 males; 1489 females) were treated in 2003 compared with 2132 (1078 males; 1054 females) in 1983.

Drug free universities--trends in illicit drugs use among Kraków university students.

Social survey by questioning people is a significant source of information, valuable for planning and developing of prophylactic strategies. An illicit drugs use among a first-year students of Kraków's universities and factors determining the usage were analysed. The research by completing the questionnaire designed by National Bureau for Drug Prevention, Poland was performed in 725 a first-year students of six Kraków's universities.

[The effect of smoking on serum nitric oxide (NO) in acutely carbon monoxide poisoned patients].

An important role of Nitric Oxide (NO) in relaxing vascular smooth muscle is commonly known. In this pilot study we aimed to asses an impact of cigarette smoking on NO serum concentration in acutely CO poisoned patients. The measured marker of cigarette smoking was urea cotinine.

[Proper use of own data bases warranted by call recording system].

A newly created computer system for call (toxicological information) recording and a Base of Toxic Substances created in native Polish language are presented in the paper. An extended structure of this data base enable to catalogue different groups of toxic substances (e.g.

[Rules of telephone poison information service: guidelines for call management].

A rules of telephone poison information service for general public and telephone toxicological consultation for medical staff, mainly physicians, are presented in the study. Guidelines for call management: necessity of caller assessment while dealing with information given to the general public and factors that influence successful telephone encounters are presented. The types of questions that are appropriate to ask about patient, considering both the patient state and the toxin(s) involved while dealing with a telephone toxicological consultation are also presented.

[A group carbon monoxide poisoning].

The aim of the study was to present the group carbon monoxide poisoning in Kraków in December 2003. Despite the reanimation procedure one fatal case was stated on the spot (HbCO--60% according to post-mortem toxicological examination). CO threshold limit values were significantly exceeded in the whole building.