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The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of selected detergents (althosan MB 50%, triton X) and one commercial decontamination mean (Argos™) to permeate the pig skin, which could indicate a potential toxic side effect of mass casualty decontaminants. A method of static diffusion cells and UV spectrometry was used to evaluate the skin permeation. All tested agents did not permeate the skin in detectable amounts as 5% water solutions. In concentrated form, triton X and Argos™ did not permeate the skin whereas althosan MB 50% shown specific permeation rate of 6.134 μg.cm^-1 in 24 hours.

The military incapacitating agent BZ (3-quinuclidinyl benzilate) is an anticholinergic compound that acts at both, the peripheral and central nervous system. Effects of the agent were discovered during the Cold War and BZ became one of the most potent anticholinergic psychomimetics, characterized by low effective doses causing long-term incapacitation. History, characteristics and potential use of BZ in behavioral research are discussed throughout this review.

A simple colorimetric tube detector for the detection of 2-(dialkylamino)ethanethiols and V-series nerve agents in water and in aqueous solutions is proposed. The detector is based on the reaction of the compounds with a chromogenic Folin-Ciocalteu reagent yielding a blue coloured reduction product. The detection limit of 2-(dialkylamino)ethanethiols is 2.5 mg/l, measurement range up to 250 mg/l. The detection limit of the V (VX) agent is 10 mg/l. The method allows V agents and their precursors and hydrolysis products to be easily distinguished from G-series nerve agents.

The deliberate use of chemical weapons has emerged as a significant threat especially in last decades, mainly after the terrorist attack on 11^th September 2011, and the use of these agents in future wars and terror attacks still remains a realistic concern. Despite the existence of many conventions and aggreements like Chemical Weapons Convention and 1925 Geneva Protocol against the use of chem-bio weapons, they have been used in many wars and conflicts. From this point of view, other than civilian state hospitals, military hospitals should be aware and get prepared to manage the victims injured due to chemical weapons. Military hospitals must be prepared to give support to health care system as well as military troops in treating and preventing casualties resulting from chemical weapons. Moreover, military hospitals are required to possess protective suits, masks, antidotes and other drugs. This article summarizes some important aspects which might be useful not only for military hospitals but also for civilian hospitals and public health organizations.

The epidemiology of selected venereal diseases in the Czech Republic has been carefully evaluated for many years. This report containing data from the period 1981-2011 from the eastern Bohemia shows a sharp decrease in the incidence of gonorrhea in 1993-1994 and very low incidence thereafter with slightly higher prevalence in males. However, syphilis and genitourinary infection by Chlamydia trachomatis show entirely opposite trends. Also, for the similar number of diagnostic tests performed, chlamydia showed 10 fold higher ratio of positive cases. This underscores the changing epidemiology of STIs and necessity for adapting the reporting algorithms.

Surgical repair of inguinal hernias is one of the most common surgical procedures performed. Since endoscopic inguinal hernia repair was first reported in 1990, the operation has been refined into an attractive alternative to open hernia repair for many patients and surgeons. Transabdominal preperitoneal approach (TAPP) and total extraperitoneal approach (TEP) are the most commonly used methods for miniinvasive inguinal hernia treatment. Employing the electronic databases MEDLINE, Pubmed and Ebscohost, these methods were compared with open techniques. Perioperative and postoperative complications, recurrent hernias and quality of life were evaluated. For patients with bilateral inguinal hernia or with recurrent inguinal hernia, endoscopic repair offers significant advantages over open techniques with regard to pain, recurrence risk and recovery. For unilateral primary hernias, either endoscopic or open tension - free repair with mesh can offer excellent and equivalent results.

The subjects of this article are cyclic alcohols with hydroxyl group bound directly to one carbon of the three- up to six-membered ring. They are thus predominantly secondary alcohols. These are substances frequently used as synthons in organic synthesis and many of them are important raw materials of chemical industry, such as cyclohexanol. Some cyclic alcohols were also found in nature, the bulk of them belong to the category of monoterpene substances. Many of them have biological activity, which is also discussed in this article.

The story behind today's training-system for doctors serving in the French Armed Forces is embedded in a series of establishments each of which has left its mark in history, maintained the closest links with centres of improvisation, and instilled in its students a deep sense of attachment.
It was at the very beginning of the 18^th century that the first such establishment dedicated to military doctors appeared in France. It strove unceasingly to adapt itself not only to the needs of the military, but to the advancement and established use of knowledge pertinent to the changing conditions of military service.
Since then, piecemeal evolution finally resulted in the amalgamation of 2011 when, on the 2^nd July, one single institution responsible for basic medical training was constituted --- the Defence School of Medicine (ESA). Its inauguration co-incided with the closure of the two Military Medical ...

Brodifacoum, a commercially available, long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide, is a highly toxic compound. Structurally it is similar to warfarin, but it is many times more potent, with the ability to cause severe bleeding in humans. Most of the health hazards of brodifacoum are associated with accidental ingestion. Superwarfarin intoxication may have no signs or symptoms other than bleeding at various sites. Brodifacoum has the potential to be used as a chemical warfare agent because of its high potency and long duration of action.

The objective of the experiment was to verify that HI-6 dimethanesulphonate (HI-6 DMS) is able to penetrate the skin in amounts sufficient to protect against organophosphate poisoning using a rat model. HI-6 2Cl is a major component of Transant, a transdermal patch, used as a protective agent against organophosphate intoxication in the Czech and Slovak armies, although there is little evidence that HI-6 would penetrate the skin in sufficient amounts. HI-6 DMS at a total amount of 127 mg or 635 mg was applied as a buffer solution on the Transant patch which was fixed on the back of the rat. Two, seven or twenty-four hours later, rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected to determine the levels of HI-6 in plasma by HPLC on reversed phase with isocratic elution and UV/VIS detection. HI-6 was not detectable in plasma samples of animals exposed to 127 mg of HI-6 DMS. The highest levels of HI-6 (20.6 ± 18.8 ng/ml) were found in plasma of animals exposed to 635 mg of HI-6 DMS 2 hours after patch application, whereas after 7 or 24 hours the levels were very low. Based on these results, the ability of HI-6 DMS to penetrate the skin is discussed and some possibilities of improving the transdermal penetration are suggested.

Toxic alcohols that clinicians commonly encounter are ethylene glycol, methanol, and isopropanol. Adults ingest these either for suicidal intent or to achieve inebriation, since these substances are readily available and cheaper than alcohol. Nevertheless, assorted alcohols are used very often in many applications and any alcohol can be toxic if ingested in large enough quantities. Toxic alcohols discussed here include all saturated aliphatic alcohols containing from 1 to 6 carbons in their molecules.

Organophosphorus compounds (OPCs) are a wide group of compounds both structurally and functionally. Each OPC has a unique toxicological profile. The exposure to this type of poison is not limited only to certain occupationally exposed people but also to children, women, pregnant women; all have chances to be exposed to this poison. During the recent past years it has been reported in many poison epidemiological studies and case reports that exposure of OPCs during pregnancy caused malformed fetuses, neural tube defect (NTD) and shortening of pregnancy. The literature for animal models reveals inconclusive evidence. The generalized view is that they are neither teratogenic nor embryotoxic. But it is not true. There is a lack of systematic study and scarcity of reports on the topic. The present study was undertaken to investigate the teratogenicity induced by organophosphorus compounds in different animal models by literature review. Literature was searched by Toxicology Data NetWork (TOXNET), Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology Database (DART), Toxicology Literature Online (TOXLINE), Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), Pubmed Central, Entrez-Pubmed, Science Direct, Directory Of Open Access Journal (DOAJ), Google Scholar and International Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS-INCHEM), Embase. The terms for literature search were teratogenicity, organophosphorus compounds; fetal toxicity, organophosphorus compounds; organophosphorus poisoning and pregnancy; organophosphorus poisoning and growth restriction; organophosphorus poisoning and IUGR; organophosphorus poisoning and reproduction; organophosphates and reproduction; pregnancy and organophosphates. The outcome of the study concludes that the work on teratogenicity induced by organophosphorus compounds was completely neglected, inconclusive, and only carried out on less than half of the OPCs available in the market. A more comprehensive and systemic study on the subject is clearly needed and its importance should not be ignored because more positive cases are being reported on the teratogenicity and embryotoxicity of OPCs.

Cationic tensides are a widespread group of surface active agents. These compounds have lots of applications in various branches of industry and research. Quaternary isoquinolinium salts differing in alkyl chain length are members of a cationic surfactant group with quaternary nitrogen in its structure. The members of this group can be used as micellar catalysts or disinfectants. Decontamination (chemical warfare agents) or disinfection (bacteria or fungi) for very similar compounds was described several times. In this work, the preparation of isoquinoline-derived cationic surfactants differing in the length of the side alkylating chain from C8 to C20 is described. An HPLC method used for distinction of all prepared long-chain isoquinolinium analogues has been successfully developed.

It was with great interest and pleasure that I read the contribution of Patocka et al. in the MMSL reviewing the literature on anatoxin-A(s) an Organophosphorus Cholinesterase Inhibitor (OP) of natural origin produced by cyanobacteria (formerly identified as algae). Anatoxin-A(s), a phosphate ester of imidazole (Figure 1), is a very interesting substance that lacking the ability to cross the bloodbrain-barrier selectively and irreversibly inhibits the cholinesterases ...

Carbamates neurotoxins are a group of compounds acting as pseudo-irreversible inhibitors of an enzyme acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. The compounds are well known as pesticides. Some of them, such as rivastigmine, pyridostigmine, and neostigmine, can be used as drugs for Myasthenia gravis or Alzheimer disease as well. The present review is aimed to summarize the basic facts about carbamate pesticides. Legislative aspects, e.g. law No. 326/2004 Coll., in the Czech Republic and examples of accidental exposures to carbamates in the country are provided, too. Other general provisions are determined by the EU, in particular by the Directive 91/414/EHS. The European legislative is discussed, too. Finally, examples of accidental exposures are introduced in the study.

Toxins are important virulence factors responsible for microbial pathogenicity. Potential applications of toxin research extend beyond simply combating microbial virulence and include the development of novel anti-cancer drugs and other front-line medicines. No less important is the use of toxins as tools in cellular biology and neurobiology. Understanding toxin molecular and cellular biology is critical for the development of new anti-toxin strategies, particularly for those with bioterrorism capability. This well worked book not only provides a general overview of toxins but elucidates in detail recent molecular approaches, achievements and refreshing perspective on the future studies of these molecules. The book is divided into nine chapters and each chapter is written by internationally respected scientists. ...

The ability of three oximes (HI-6, trimedoxime, K203) to reduce cyclosarin-induced acute neurotoxic signs and symptoms was compared with the neuroprotective efficacy of two combinations of oximes (HI-6 + trimedoxime, HI-6 + K203) using a functional observational battery. Cyclosarin-induced neurotoxicity and the neuroprotective effects of HI-6, trimedoxime or K203 alone and HI-6 combined with trimedoxime or K203 in rats poisoned with cyclosarin at a sublethal dose (80 μg/kg i.m.; 70% of LD₅₀ value) were monitored by the functional observational battery at 24 hours and 7 days following cyclosarin challenge. The results indicate that all types of antidotal treatment are able to survive cyclosarin-poisoned rats 7 days following cyclosarin poisoning while one non-treated cyclosarin-poisoned rats died within 24 hours following cyclosarin challenge. All three oximes alone as well as both oxime mixtures combined with atropine were able to slightly decrease cyclosarin-induced neurotoxicity in the case of sublethal poisoning but they did not eliminate all cyclosarin-induced acute neurotoxic signs and symptoms. Their ability to reduce cyclosarin-induced acute neurotoxicity was almost the same regardless of type of antidotal treatment. Thus, the tested combinations of oximes were not able to increase the neuroprotective effectiveness of antidotal treatment of acute cyclosarin poisoning compared to the individual oximes.

Aim: Cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay and its comprehensive variant CBMN cytome assay are cytogenetic methods. CBMN is based on assessment of micronuclei in nucleated cells that have completed only one nuclear division. Besides micronuclei, CBMN cytome assay analyzes additional genotoxic (nucleoplasmic bridges and nuclear buds), cytostatic (nuclear division index), and cytotoxic (amount of necrotic and apoptotic cells) parameters. The aim of this study is to evaluate these parameters in human blood lymphocytes after in vitro irradiation and to assess its contribution to biodosimetry. Material and methods: Human blood from 6 donors was in vitro irradiated by 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Gy and cultivated for 72 hours. Blood lymphocytes were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin and their cytokinesis was blocked by cytochalasin B. After cultivation, cultures were hypotonically treated, dropped onto glass slides and stained with Giemsa. Slides were evaluated by microscope. Results: We observed significantly increased amount of micronuclei, nucleoplasmic bridges, and nuclear buds measured in binucleated cells, significantly increased amount of micronuclei measured in mononucleated cells and significantly decreased nuclear division index after irradiation by 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Gy. Amount of death cells (apoptotic and necrotic) significantly increased after irradiation by 4 and 5 Gy. Conclusion: Although all parameters assessed by CBMN cytome assay have biodosimetric potential, practically feasible is only evaluation of micronuclei in binucleated cells. This parameter was used to construct in vitro linear-quadratic dose-response calibration curve which could be used as a biodosimetric tool for triage of radiation casualties.

Infectious diarrhea is counted among frequent complications in field training of units or their deployment in foreign missions. Acute diarrheal diseases ethiology varies and involves both classic bacterial pathogens and viral and parasitic agents. Last but not least, an infectious diarrhea picture may be developed even by bacterial producers so called enterotoxins. In this overview article, the most frequent agents of acute diarrheal diseases are ivnvolved, above all in the relation of the units deployed in combat operations. In the part devoted to viral agents, a brief comment is given on new viruses which are put into a casuality relationship with diarrheal diseases.

The authors discuss an issue of demographic aging, heterogeneity of seniors, specific needs and questionable issues in seniors with mental disorders hospitalized at the Department of Gerontopsychiatry. The seniors with a psychiatric morbidity dependent on institutional care usually stand at the fringe interest of the society, even research does not pay a proper attention to them. From the point of financial costs, the gerontopsychiatry is incredibly underpaid area - there is a lack of money for both reconstruction and modernization of obsolescent gerontopsychiatric departments of mental homes. A guardian of the human rights has repeatedly warned about these conditions. The medical and social problematics of complex care for psychiatric senior patients itself brings specific difficulties as well as specific challenges which the authors called The Ten Commandments of seniors hospitalized on the gerontopsychiatric bed. The authors openly touch hot issues of institutional gerontopsychiatric care - unvoluntary hospitalizations, use of restrictive measures in gerontopsychiatry, pharmacotherapy of psychomotoric unrest states, disability for providing legal actions and compulsory treatment. Newly, the authors point out a quality of provided care in gerontopsychiatry and emphasize the issue of burnout which negatively influences just the quality of care in gerontopsychiatry and lives of gerontopsychiatric workers as well.

This study defines the term the side-effect of ionizing radiation and discusses the usefulness of various Scientific methods used for Side-effect evaluation. It also briefly introduces a relatively new technology, a microbeam facility from the radiobiological and other branch point of view. The microbeam facility is able to irradiate the defined subcellular compartments with the exact number of particles with the energy requested.

The discipline of medical ethics is concerned with morality, moral obligations and the principles of proper professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of a physician himself, his patients and fellow practitioners, as well as his actions in the care of patients and in relation with their families. Its foundations lie in the philosophical traditions of Eastern and Western thought and have strongly shaped modern codes of conduct and conventions...

Group G streptococci (GGS) are commonly regarded as commensals because they are often found in association with the normal flora of human and animal pharynx, skin, gastrointestinal and urogenital tract. In recent years, they have been reported with increasing frequency as a cause of variety of human infections, such as endocarditis, arthritis, meningitis, pharyngitis and sepsis. GGS infections have manifestinations similar to those caused by S. pyogenes. They express several virulence determinants initially identified in S. pyogenes, such as M protein, streptokinase, streptolysins O and S, C5a peptidase and hyaluronic acid capsule. The human isolates of beta-haemolytic GGS include the anginosus group and S. dysgalactiae ssp. equisimilis. S. canis is important animal pathogen.

The penetration of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactivators through the blood-brain barrier is hotly discussed question nowadays. The increase of lipophilicity of these compounds is one of the possible ways how to increase their penetration and also their efficacy in the central nervous system.The aim of this study is to compare the reactivation potency of newly synthesized oxime - oxime K203 - after its fluorination. This AChE reactivator was prepared at the Research Institute of Chemical Technology (Korea) and is known as K22836. The fluorination of oxime K203 leads to reduction of its therapeutic efficacy. The reactivation potency of newly synthesized oxime K22836 was lower in the whole blood and also in the central nervous system. In summary, the most efficacious reactivator in case of tabun-inhibited AChE is still oxime K203 originally prepared at our department.

The author defines the concept of aeromedical training (AMT) for Czech Army flight personnel and provides a survey of its normative basis and of the assigned target groups. Information is given about the itemisation of the training which depends on the type of aviation techniques flown, as well as on the contents of the theoretical measures, the practical drill and the demonstrations, respectively. Individual methods are characterized in brief. A currently valid ATM Scheme is presented.

Antibiotics resistance significantly influences morbidity increase, extended hospitalization and consequently increase of health care cost. Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) belong to significant multiresistant pathogens which are able to spread quickly, especially in the environment of antibiotics high selective pressure. To eliminate the risk of multiresistant infections inception require effective professionally qualified and cost effective preventive measures. The issue of MRSA has been discussed systematically in the Central Military Hospital since 2005. Besides the patients of intensive care patients in continuing care, i.e. patients hospitalized mostly in internal departments and departments of continuing care and social care bed departments become a more risky group. Higher incidence is also noticed at departments of surgery further to internal gastroenterology and departments of dermatovenerology.

Cardiac toxicity is one of the potential side effects of oncology treatment. For evaluation of cardiotoxicity, there is World Health Organization (WHO) classification, released in 1979, and National Cancer Institute (NCI) classification, updated in 2003. The article gives a review of possibilities for evaluation of cardiotoxicity using these two classifications.

Toxicokinetic studies of nerve agents deal with the in vivo absorption, distribution, and elimination of these agents as a function of animal species, route of administration, dose and time after administration. Such studies provide a quantitative basis for toxicodynamic studies of nerve agents, which should result in causal treatment of intoxications with these agents. While toxicodynamic studies of nerve agents have been intensively pursued since WW II, toxicokinetic studies were only initiated in the last two decennia of the twentieth century. The late start of the latter type of research was caused by the long held but uncorrect assumption that nerve agents were so-called “hit-and-run” poisons, with extremely short in vivo persistence. 0n the other hand, such in vivo analyses had to wait for the development, in that period of time, of trace analytical methods which were needed to determine the extremely low (ng to low pg range/ml plasma) but toxicologically significant in vivo levels of the various stereoisomers of nerve agents.
This review will deal first with the development of analytical procedures for chiral trace analysis of the stereoisomers of nerve agents, as well as with the toxicology and routes of in vivo elimination of the stereoisomers. Next, results of toxicokinetic studies will be given, mainly dealing with soman but some results for other nerve agents will also be given. The effect of dose, route of adminstration (iv, inhalation, pc) and animal species will be dealt with, emphasizing the toxicokinetics after low level respiratory exposure. Finally, consequences for prophylactic and therapeutic approaches as well as future directions of research are discussed.

Technical development in computer hardware and application of new visualization algorithms allow the use of spatial visualization methods in many different branches of biological research. Computer graphics and information visualization methods became important help in the research of spatial features of medical objects. The article describes the process of studied objects visualization, used methods, data structures and software tools. Temporal bone visualization case study shows reconstruction process from acquired image data to final rendering of created computer model. Obtained results prove the possibility to combine image, surface and volume visualization methods for different researched objects.