[Blood levels of nitrogenous substances in dairy cows with high and low production]. / Uroven niektorých dusíkatých látok v krvnom sére dojníc s vysokou a nízkou úzitkovostou.

In blood serum of dairy cows of the Slovak Pied breed with high and low performance, the levels of total protein, urea, amino nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen and uric acid were studied over the period of four to six weeks after calving. Total protein was determined by the Bio-La-test, amino nitrogen by means of ninhydrin, non-protein nitrogen by Berthelot agent and uric acid by Benedict agent. In comparison with dairy cows with low performance, the dairy cows with high performance had a statistically significantly higher level of total protein, urea, amino nitrogen and non-protein nitrogen. The differences in uric acid content were statistically insignificant.

[Ethico-philosophic and socio-legal aspects of AIDS]. / K niektorým eticko-filozofickým a spolocensko-právnym aspektom AIDS.

The authors analyze ethico-philosophical and socio-legal problems of patients with AIDS in their relation to people they are in frequent contact with, i.e. family, relatives, sexual partners, as well as medical and paramedical staff. They deal with the problem of compulsory notification of the disease on the one hand, and of secrecy compelling for health care workers on the other hand. The potential penojudicial responsibility of subjects infected with AIDS in spreading the infection is being considered, as well as the problem of enforced diagnotic examination and hospitalization. The obligation of the doctor to provide therapeutic and preventive care to each citizen, and thus also to patients with AIDS, is being emphasized.

[Technical problems in the preparation of biopsy samples of the spleen]. / Technické problémy spracovania bioptických vzoriek sleziny.

Spleen tissue sampling for bioptical examination should be performed after mutual consultation of clinician and pathologist. Clinician should know what is expected from the pathologist. This can influence preparation and sampling method considerably. In a great amount of cases the whole organ is removed. A lab technician is sampling on her own and her contribution to a good result can be either positive or negative. Imprint preparations from the tissue sections can be useful. Specialized examination should be performed in the presence of a pathologist or his co-workers. The active approach of a lab technician can significantly contribute to the value of examined sample of the spleen, of the organ until recently considered to be not important or full of mysteries.

[Myocarditis in childhood]. / Problematika myokarditíd v detskom veku.

In a group of 82 children followed up for prolonged periods the authors draw attention to some problems of virus myocarditis. They focused attention on the diagnosis of Coxsackie myocarditis for which they elaborated a scoring system. Based on this system they separated the prognostically most adverse group where cardiac decompensation was the dominant sign from the very beginning. They confirmed the theoretical assumption that in some children virus myocarditis develops into cardiomyopathy. This was proved in six children by histological examination and in 19 children by means of echocardiography.

Congenital absence of the pulmonary valve associated with ventricular septal defect.

The authors describe 5 cases of an unusual variant of tetralogy of Fallot with a characteristic clinical course. Its most prominent clinical manifestations are recurrent and severe respiratory infections caused by compression of the inferior trachea and bronchi by a dilated pulmonary artery. Two of the patients died of irreversible respiratory insufficiency. Of the 3 surviving patients one is doing comparatively well.