[Ayahuasca, which originates from the Amazon Basin, is a psychoactive brew of two components. Its active agents are betacarboline and tryptamine derivatives. Near the spring of the Amazon River this brew is still a central component of many healing and tribal rituals. During the past few decades, the substance has become known among both laymen and scientistss and nowadays its use is spreading all over in Europe. In the present paper we give an overview of the scientific research and describe ayahuasca's main features, the main questions raised over its use, the risk factors and potential benefits. A growing number of scientific results seem to support the psychotherapeutic potential of ayahuasca, which has a strong serotonergic effect, whereas studies on its effect on the immune system also raise the possibility that certain ethno-medical observations can be scientifically proved.]

[Diuretics are essential therapeutic tools. They effectively reduce blood pressure and have been shown in numerous hypertension clinical trials to reduce both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. In addition, they are important components of the treatment of heart failure with apparent signs of congestion. While thiazides are recommended in mild forms, loop diuretics are used in the severe stages of congestive heart failure. Loop diuretics and thiazides often induce hypokalaemia, which has been demonstrated to be not as benign as thought before. Diuretic-induced hypokalaemia seems to be aldosterone dependent. Aldosterone levels increase during diuretic therapy. Aldosterone antagonists are unique among diuretics in that they improve survival of patients with heart failure independent of their effect on sodium metabolism. Because of this, diuretic treatment lives its renaissance in cardiology.]

[By the spring of 2020 the COVID-19 outbreak caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has become a pandemic, requiring fast and efficient reaction from societies and health care systems all over the world. Fever, coughing and dyspnea are considered the major signs of COVID-19. In addition to the involvement of the respiratory system, the infection may result in other symptoms and signs as well. Based on reports to date, neurological signs or symptoms appear in 30-50% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with higher incidence in those with more severe disease. Classical acute neurological syndromes have also been reported to associate with COVID-19. A drop in the volume of services for other acute diseases has been described in countries with healthcare systems focusing on COVID-19. During the COVID-19 epidemic it is also important to provide appropriate continuous care for those with chronic neurological disorders. It will be the task of the future to estimate the collateral damage caused by the COVID-19 epidemic on the outcome of other neurological disorders, and to screen for the possible late neurological complications of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection.]

[INTRODUCTION AND METHODS - Quality monitoring activities are essential for improving the care of acute coronary patients. The aim of our study was to establish a registry and assess the adherence to widely used quality indicators. We investigated two groups of patients, those admitted to our Intensive Care Unit with the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (Group 1) and unstable angina (Group 2). RESULTS - Group 1. consisted of 173 patients, of whom 60% was eligible for thrombolysis. In 5 cases no acute reperfusion therapy was done. For reperfusion we used systemic thrombolysis in 74% and primary coronary angioplasty in 26%. The prehospital delay was 150 minutes, the ”door-to-needle” time and the ”door-toballoon” time were 30 minutes and 102 minutes, respectively. 95% of the patients received aspirin, 79% beta-blocker, 82% angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and 39% cholesterol lowering medications. Group 2. included 84 patients, most of them had high risk features according to the Braunwald classification and the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association guideline. Coronary angiography was performed in 80 cases. Regarding revascularization, 43 patients underwent coronary bypass surgery, 30 percutan angioplasty with stent implantation in 18. In this group aspirin was given in 82, unfractionated heparin in 9, low molecular weight heparin in 49, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor in 15 cases. 21 patients received intravenous nitroglycerin, 70 patients betablocker and 57 patients cholesterol lowering drugs. DISCUSSION - Quality management is extremely useful in assessing our practice, our shortcomings and developments.]