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BMJ No 7104 Volume 315 This week in brief Saturday 9 August 1997 Polymerase chain reaction is useful in defining infectiousness of people with hepatitis C British anthropometric data are not suitable for all populations Early insulin resistance may be present in young adults born small for gestational age Giving antibiotics for sore throats medicalises a self limiting illness Polymerase chain reaction is useful in defining infectiousness of people with hepatitis C The ability to determine infectiousness among people with hepatitis C would help in counselling those exposed to infection about the risk of transmission. As many people with antibodies to hepatitis C do not develop chronic infection, the polymerase chain reaction is required to detect ongoing viraemia. On p 333 Dore et al analyse published studies of hepatitis C transmission, covering 2022 people exposed to sources positive for antibody to hepatitis C. No transmissions occurred from people positive for hepatitis C antibody but with negative results by polymerase chain reaction. British anthropometric data are not suitable for all populations Nutritional state is usually assessed by comparing anthropometric measurements with reference data. On p 338 Bannerman et al surveyed 200 elderly people in Edinburgh and compared measurements with standard British reference data. They found that the Edinburgh population was significantly different from the reference populations for several measurements and that some people with malnutrition would not have been identified if these data had been used. Early insulin resistance may be present in young adults born small for gestational age Low birth weight is associated with an increased risk of developing impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridaemia, and hypertension in middle age. On p 341 Leger et al investigate whether these conditions are present at the age of 20 in 236 people born small for gestational age compared with 281 who had a normal birth weight. After adjustment for sex and target height, subjects born small for gestational age were significantly shorter. After adjustment for sex and body mass index, subjects born small for gestational age had significantly higher mean plasma glucose concentrations 30 minutes after a glucose load, higher fasting insulin concentrations (women only), and higher insulin and proinsulin concentrations 30 and 120 minutes after a glucose load. The raised insulin and proinsulin concentrations are markers of early changes in insulin sensitivity. Giving antibiotics for sore throats medicalises a self limiting illness Little et al have shown that antibiotic prescribing for sore throat increases patients' intention to consult. They therefore randomised 716 patients to immediate prescription, no prescription, or delayed prescription if the sore throat had not settled after three days to see whether immediate prescribing increased reattendance (p 350). There was no difference between the groups in complications, but more of those initially prescribed antibiotics returned to the surgery with sore throat (38% v 27% in the other two groups). Home | Current issue | Past issues | Classified ads | Career Focus | Feedback Collections | About this site | About the BMJ | BMA | Medline