THE PREVALENCE OF MYOPIA IN SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN IN SLOVAKIA AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

AIMS: The aim of the authors' study was to determine the prevalence of myopia and premyopia in children and adolescents attending primary school in a village in the north of Slovakia in the period before and after the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Changes in the spherical equivalent and axial length of the eyes were measured in 2019 and 2022 in a group of 47 children and adolescents within the age range of 7-12 years at the time of first measurement. In all the individuals, refraction was measured using an automatic keratorefractometer without the use of cycloplegic eye drops, and axial length was measured with an optical biometer. Refraction was also measured using an automatic keratorefractometer after using cycloplegic eye drops. RESULTS: We recorded a significant change in the mean spherical equivalent (1.02 ±1.16 D vs. 0.72 ±1.29) and the axial length of the eyes (23.05 ±0.72mm vs. 23.30 ±0.74mm) when comparing the measurements from 2019 to 2022. The probands manifested a myopic refractive shift of -0.30 D throughout the entire cohort (-0.24 D in boys and -0.38 D in girls), and the mean axial length increased by 0.2 mm in the entire cohort (by 0.3 mm in boys and 0.2 mm in girls). The percentage of myopic and premyopic eyes increased (4.3% vs. 8.5% a 31.9% vs. 48.9%). CONCLUSION: We noted a decrease in the spherical equivalent and increase in the axial length of the eyes after the Covid-19 pandemic compared to the period before the pandemic in Slovak school-aged children. During this period, the prevalence of myopia and premyopia increased.

Results of the first studies of occurence of ochratoxin A in human milk in Slovakia.

Authors bring the work the purpose of which is to offer information about quality of human milk from the viewpoint of possible contamination with mycotoxin Ochratoxin A from the fist analyses in Slovakia. One of its main toxic effect is nephrotoxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, teratogenity and carcinogenity. MATERIAL AND PROCEDURE: 76 samples of human milk from locality Martin and the corresponding zone were analysed by technique of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) in conditions as mentioned below. RESULTS: Ochratoxin A was proved in 23 samples, 9 samples of the number with values from 2.3 +/- 0.99 ng/l to 60.3 +/- 25.93 ng/l, its occurence was at the level of quantification limit in the other 14 samples and it was undetectable in 55 samples of human milk. CONCLUSION: Up to now findings of our study have pointed out that Ochratoxin A can occur in human milk also in our conditions and determined values range between limits like those in Germany and Switzerland (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 15).

Food allergens and respiratory symptoms.

Food allergy may be clinically expressed by a variety of respiratory symptoms, which can be provoked either by IgE- or cellular mediated reactions. Among the diagnostic procedures, newly introduced atopy patch test seems to be important for diagnosis of cellular, delayed immune reactions. We studied the prevalence of positive atopy patch tests with food and inhalant allergens and the correlation between the positivity of atopy patch tests and questionnaire derived atopic and nonatopic espiratory symptoms and diseases in an unselected children population. We found a correlation between the positive patch test result with wheat and cough after physical effort, allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, and bronchitis recidivans. The subjects with positive skin reaction to egg suffered from allergic rhino-conjunctivitis and bronchial asthma. Food and inhalant allergens play an important role in the induction and exacerbation of some respiratory allergic diseases. The positive correlation of positive results of skin tests and history of some respiratory diseases and symptoms also on the population level confirm the importance of these tests in the diagnostic work-up of these allergic diseases.

[Evaluation of blood flow in the renal artery and intraparenchymal arteries in neonates using color doppler sonography]. / Hodnotenie prietokov krvi a. renalis a intraparenchýmovými artériami novorodencov pomocou farebnej dopplersonografie.

The authors examined 25 kidneys in 14 healthy neonates in order to evaluate the resistive index (RI) calculated from the maximal systolic and end-diastolic rate of blood flow in the renal artery and some intraparenchymatous arteries. They revealed a significant drop of all absolute rates of blood flow in arteries in the direction to the renal periphery. Consistent with rather few data in the literature, they assessed a normal RI value of intraparenchymatous arteries in healthy neonates (0.76 +/- 0.04) which differs significantly from values assessed in the renal artery (0.82 +/- 0.05) (p < or = 0.001). The authors discuss the normal RI value in the neonatal period. In the conclusion they mention that the RI can be obtained much more easily from the blood flow in the renal artery than the blood flow in intraparenchymatous arteries but the former does not reflect representatively the intraparenchymatous conditions in the kidneys and this restricts its use in evaluations of intraparenchymatous renal processes.

[Carbocysteine in the treatment of recurrent bronchitis in infants]. / Karbocystein v liecbe recidivujúcich bronchitíd u dojciat.

In a group of 51 children aged 6-24 months the therapeutic effectiveness of the mucolytic preparation carbocysteine was tested and compared with the effect of Ipeca syrup. The effect was evaluated by means of a point score comprising changes of the clinical picture of the disease and the use of other laboratory examinations. The results of the examination revealed the more favourable effect of carbocysteine, as compared with a mixture of Ipeca syrup in the treatment of acute relapsing bronchitis in infants.