[A retrospective study of animal poisoning reports to the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre (1997 - 2006)]. / Von Hanf bis Schokolade: Tiervergiftungen im Wandel der Zeit Eine retrospektive Aufarbeitung der Kasuistik des Schweizerischen Toxikologischen Informationszentrums (1997 - 2006).

The purpose of this retrospective study was to analyse the etiology, frequency and outcome of toxicological cases recorded by the consultation service of the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre (STIC) hotline over a 10-year period, from 1997 to 2006. A detailed analysis of this database indicates that common human drugs not intended for use in animals, as well as pesticides and toxic plants represent the most prominent hazards involved in the reported cases of animal poisonings. The comparison with a previous survey from the years 1976 - 1985 revealed new toxic risks due to the accidental uptake of cannabis products, castor seeds or chocolate by dogs. In addition, there is a striking increase of serious poisonings with pyrethroids in cats. The follow-up reports delivered by veterinarians also reflect novel pharmacological and technological trends in the management of poisonings.

[Health surveillance of workers]. / La sorveglianza sanitaria dei lavoratori.

The paper deals with the concepts of environmental monitoring and health surveillance, which include the following tasks: biological monitoring, health information, pre-employment and periodical medical examinations. Biological monitoring permits evaluation of the degree of exposure and its early effects. The early effects can be detected with specific tests exploring initial biological alterations while the organism is still capable of compensating such changes. Application of biological monitoring requires a profound knowledge of toxicology and health surveillance in general terms requires a solid basis of occupational medicine in order to set objectives and make judgements concerning fitness for specific jobs. Details are given of the measures the occupational health physician must take and when he must take them in the case of development of an occupational disease. Particular attention is given to the removal of the subject from exposure, the first certificate of occupational disease, the notification to the Local Health Unit and the diagnosis.

[Analysis of gait in hemiplegics (author's transl)]. / Ganganalyse beim Hemiplegiker.

The gait of 31 hemiplegics is analyzed with a multiplecomponents force-plate. The healthy and paretic side differ in 5 of 7 parameters. The difference betwen the left and right side is bigger in the right hemiplegic, because in the left hemiplegic, the healthy side is more disturbed as in the right hemiplegic. That makes less differences between healthy and paretic side. The variability of the single steps is bigger in subjects with a bad gait. The method is suitable to screen the change of the gait and its progress.

Empyema with malakoplakic-like lesions by Rhodococcus equi as a presentation of HIV infection.

Rhodococcus equi (Corynebacterium equi) is an aerobic actinomycetes, well described as a cause of pulmonary infection in different animals as horses, pigs and cows. This pathogen has a coccobacillar aspect and a variable acid-fast stain in tissues. Rare cases of human infection by Rhodococcus species were described, the majority by Rhodococcus equi, especially in patients with immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in advanced stages of the disease. Usually the diagnosis of infections by Rhodococcus species is performed by positive blood or bronchoalveolar lavage cultures. Here we described a case of a pleuro-pulmonary infection by Rhodococcus equi, with malakoplakic-like lesions, that was the first manifestation of AIDS, whose diagnosis was performed by pleural biopsy (acid-fast bacteria with a variable coccobacillar aspect inside macrophages) and pleural fluid culture.