Ftalati su esteri ftalne kiseline, koji se koriste kao plastifikatori u velikom broju proizvoda kako bi poboljšali njihovu fleksibilnost, mekoću i rastezljivost. Uvelike se primjenjuju u proizvodnji ...medicinskih proizvoda, što stvara zabrinutost zbog migracije ftalata s proizvoda I njihova utjecaja na ljudsko zdravlje. Pregled objavljenih znanstvenih radova upućuje na povezanost ftalata s poremećajem reproduktivnog i endokrinog sustava, astmom, pretilošću, poremećajima u neurološkom razvoju, negativnim učincima na dišni sustav i toksičnim učincima na nekoliko organa, uključujući jetru, štitnjaču, bubrege i pluća. Cilj je ovoga preglednog rada sažeti dostupne zaključke članaka o migraciji ftalata s medicinskih proizvoda tijekom različitih medicinskih postupaka te o mogućem utjecaju na ljudsko zdravlje. U istraživanje su uključeni i članci o alternativnim plastifikatorima s nižom stopom migracije i sigurnijim profilom kako bi se utvrdio mogući sigurniji pristup medicinskim postupcima. Zaključci upućuju na otpuštanje ftalata u velikom broju različitih kritičnih, čak i kroničnih medicinskih postupaka, što može ozbiljno utjecati na zdravlje pacijenata. Za sada nema dovoljno podataka o udjelu pojedinih ftalata u proizvodnji medicinskih proizvoda ni o migracijskoj stopi i utjecaju na zdravlje alternativnih plastifikatora.
Urbanizacija i industrijalizacija su u porastu u cijelome svijetu. S obama ovim fenomenima izravno su povezana zagađivala iz okoliša, poput
potencijalno toksičnih elemenata (PTE). Dva elementa koja ...izazivaju najveću zabrinutost su arsen (As) i olovo (Pb) u tlu i vodi, bilo da su
tamo došli prirodnim putem ili zbog ljudske djelatnosti. Oba su i potencijalno kancerogena. U ovom preglednom radu razmatraju se
mehanizmi kojima As i Pb ugrožavaju metaboličke procese i izazivaju oštećenja genoma. Unatoč zabranama i naporima da se ograniči
njihovo korištenje, oba su elementa perzistentna u okolišu i predstavljaju rizik za ljudsko zdravlje, zbog čega je potrebno nastaviti s njihovim
toksikološkim istraživanjima.
Mikotoksini su sekundarni metaboliti toksigenih plijesni široko rasprostranjenih u usjevima. Biljke, životinje, bakterije i plijesni posjeduju sposobnost modifikacije mikotoksina, a do nje može doći ...i tijekom obrade hrane, što rezultira nastankomvelikog broja „maskiranih” oblika mikotoksina. Tako modificirani oblici mikotoksina često ostaju nevidljivi pri različitim analitičkim tehnikama, što utječe i na točnu procjenu rizika jer se nakon konzumacije kontaminiranih namirnica modificirani oblici mikotoksina u probavnom sustavu vraćaju u izvorni oblik. To je dovelo do potrebe za analitičkim tehnikama kojima se mogu detektirati i kvantificirati modificirani oblici mikotoksina. Sprega tekućinske kromatografije i spektrometrije masa (LC-MS/MS) analitička je tehnika detekcije koja najviše obećava, a za otkrivanje novih modificiranih spojeva uglavnom se primjenjuju spektrometri masa visoke rezolucije. Unatoč tome, toksični utjecaj modificiranih oblika mikotoksina još nije do kraja razjašnjen.
Urbanisation and industrialisation are on the rise all over the world. Environmental contaminants such as potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are directly linked with both phenomena. Two PTEs that ...raise greatest concern are arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) as soil and drinking water contaminants, whether they are naturally occurring or the consequence of human activities. Both elements are potential carcinogens. This paper reviews the mechanisms by which As and Pb impair metabolic processes and cause genetic damage in humans. Despite efforts to ban or limit their use, due to high persistence both continue to pose a risk to human health, which justifies the need for further toxicological research.
This review article takes a closer look at a new class of psychoactive substances called designer benzodiazepines (DBZs) and the challenges of their detection. These are adinazolam, clonazolam, ...deschloroetizolam, diclazepam, etizolam, flualprazolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, phenazepam, and pyrazolam. They are central nervous system depressants and sedatives that can cause psychomotor impairment and increase the overdose risk when combined with other sedatives. DBZs undergo phase I and II metabolism similar to traditional benzodiazepines, but their specific metabolic pathways and the influence of genetic polymorphisms are yet to be clarified. Advances in liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) have enhanced the method's sensitivity for DBZs and their metabolites in biological samples and coupled with improved blood sampling methods require less blood for drug monitoring. Further research should focus on elucidating their pharmacokinetic properties and metabolism in humans, especially in view of genetic polymorphisms and drug interactions that could inform clinical treatment choices. Even though we have witnessed important advances in DBZ detection and measurement, further refinements are needed to expand the scope of detectable DBZs and their metabolites. All this should help toxicological research to better identify and characterise the risks of chronic and polydrug abuse and facilitate clinical, forensic, and regulatory responses to this growing issue.
Phthalates are a group of phthalic acid esters used as plasticisers in a large number of products to improve their flexibility, softness, and extensibility. Their wide use in medical devices, ...however, raises a lot of concern, as they can enter the organism and have toxic effects on human liver, thyroid, kidneys, lungs, reproductive, endocrine, nervous, and respiratory system and are associated with asthma, obesity, autism, and diabetes. The aim of this review is to summarise current knowledge about phthalate migration from medical devices during different medical procedures and possible impact on patient health. It also looks at alternative plasticisers with supposedly lower migration rates and safer profile. Not enough is known about which and how many phthalates make part of medical devices or about the health impacts of alternative plasticisers or their migration rates.
Noise and toluene can have significant adverse effects on different systems in the human body, but little is known about their combination. The aim of this study was to see how their combined action ...reflects on serum levels of inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), body weight, and pathological changes in the heart, lung, stomach, and spleen tissues. To do that we exposed New Zealand rabbits to 1000 mg/L toluene and 100 dB of white noise in a chamber specifically designed for the purpose over two consecutive weeks. Serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), whereas Bax and Bcl-2 expressions in tissues were determined with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Noise and toluene changed TNF-α and IL-1β serum levels on different days following the end of exposure and significantly increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the lung and spleen. In addition, they induced different pathological changes in the heart, lung, spleen, and stomach tissues. This study has confirmed that exposure to noise and toluene can induce a range of toxicopathological changes, probably by inducing inflammatory pathways and apoptosis, but their combined effects look weaker than those of its components, although histopathological findings suggest the opposite.
Organophosphate pesticide (OP) poisoning is quite common and can cause cardiovascular complications and even direct myocardial injury. However, no guideline has included an acute poisoning as a ...potential cause for a type 2 myocardial infarction (MI) so far. Here we present a case of a 61-year-old woman brought by ambulance to emergency department one hour after accidental ingestion of an unknown quantity of a solution she used against flea infestation. The patient presented with dizziness, myosis, excessive sweating, hypersalivation, sphincteric incontinence, muscle fasciculation, tremor of the extremities, pale skin, alcoholic and pesticide breath odour. Even though we had no guidelines to fall back on, we successfully treated the patient with low-molecular-weight heparin, antiplatelets, statin, diltiazem, antidote therapy, and supportive care. Physicians should be aware that OP poisoning can induce type 2 MI as a complication within a few hours since exposure, and emergency management should always include close cardiac monitoring.
Prvog veljače 2016. godine Zavod za sudsku medicinu i kriminalistiku Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Rijeci proslavio je svoj 50. rođendan. U pedeset godina aktivnosti Zavod za sudsku medicinu i ...kriminalistiku razvijao se i napredovao u stručnom i znanstvenom smislu, suočavajući se s brojnim profesionalnim izazovima. Djelatnosti Zavoda obuhvaćaju nastavne, stručne i znanstvene aktivnosti. Nastavnici Zavoda uključeni su u programe obavezne i izborne izobrazbe studenata Medicine, Dentalne medicine i Fakulteta zdravstvenih studija. Stručne aktivnosti Zavoda su provođenje sudsko-medicinskih obdukcija, mrtvozornička služba, sudska vještačenja, procjene težine tjelesnih ozljeda, toksikološke i molekularne analize DNK-a. Stručna djelatnost provodi se u suradnji sa sudovima, državnim odvjetništvom, policijom i Uredom za javno zdravstvo Primorsko-goranske županije. Znanstvenom aktivnošću i razvojem novih metodoloških pristupa Zavod nastoji pridonijeti unapređenju sudskomedicinske prakse u Hrvatskoj.
U Hrvatskoj ne postoji razvijena subspecijalizacija iz kliničke toksikologije, a samim time nije razvijena ni strategija ni mreža toksikoloških centara. Činjenica je da se u svakodnevnom radu ...susrećemo s otrovanjima, a postoji nejednaka dostupnost antidotima u hitnim prijmovima ili centralnim bolničkim ljekarnama. Svrha ovog preglednog članka je upoznavanje s literaturom o dostupnosti antidota u akutnim bolnicama, vremenske i količinske, ali i vlastitih iskustava o izgradnji takve prakse u OHBP-u KBC-a Zagreb, a s nadom da će u budućnosti postojati strategija koja će dati preporuke o tome koje antidote moramo imati uvijek u hitnom prijmu, kada ih dajemo, u kojim dozama, i kakve zalihe bolnice moraju uvijek imati u centralnim ljekarnama.