Prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms six months after bacterial gastroenteritis and risk factors for development of the irritable bowel syndrome: postal survey of patients.

Objective: To measure the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms six months after bacterial gastroenteritis and determine risk factors and associations with postdysenteric symptoms.

Design: Postal questionnaire.

Setting: Nottingham Health Authority.

Differences in post-operative infection rates between patients receiving autologous and allogeneic blood transfusion: a meta-analysis of published randomized and nonrandomized studies.

We have undertaken a meta-analysis of the post-operative infection rates in patients who received autologous blood compared with allogeneic blood. Nine studies published after 1989 were identified, of which seven had sufficient data on transfusion given in the paper to be included, giving a total of 1060 patients. The risk of post-operative infection was greater in the allogeneic group, odds ratio 2.

The presence of rheumatoid factor in sera from anti-HCV positive blood donors interferes with the detection of HCV-specific IgM. Trent HCV Study Group.

Background/aims: IgM anti-HCV has been reported as a useful marker of disease activity and of likely response to interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Sera from patients with hepatitis C virus infection may contain rheumatoid factor. This study was designed to investigate the possible effect of rheumatoid factor in an IgM anti-HCV assay.

Serum HCV RNA levels assessed by quantitative NASBA: stability of viral load over time, and lack of correlation with liver disease. The Trent HCV Study Group.

Background/aims: We used the hepatitis C virus quantitative NASBA technique to evaluate the stability of viral load within individuals with chronic hepatitis C, to determine the range of viraemic load between individuals, and to assess the usefulness of hepatitis C virus RNA quantitation in predicting the severity of underlying hepatitis C virus-induced liver disease.

Methods: Hepatitis C virus RNA was determined, using the quantitative NASBA assay, in multiple serum samples from 11 individuals with chronic hepatitis C over an average time period of 11 months (range = 3-23 months), and in single serum samples from a further 10 individuals.

Results: In 10/11 individuals the hepatitis C virus RNA titres were within one log10 copies/ml of each other during this time period.

Overlapping Lsp-2 gene sequences target expression to both the larval and adult Drosophila fat body.

Larval serum protein-2 gene (Lsp-2) of Drosophila melanogaster encodes one of the major hexameric haemolymph proteins of third-instar larvae and a major component of adult serum. Regulated transcription of Lsp-2 results in high-level, ecdysone-stimulated expression throughout the larval fat body and low-level, spatially restricted expression in the adult fat cells. To localize cis-acting regulatory sequences responsible for the stage- and tissue-specific activity at Lsp-2, the expression of Lsp-2-lacZ fusion genes was studied by P element-mediated germline transformation of Drosophila.

Interstrain variability of larval photokinesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Larvae from seven laboratory strains and eight isofemale lines of Drosophila melanogaster differ significantly with regard to their responses to light in a photokinesis assay in which the larvae are tested en masse. Larvae from the CA-2 laboratory stock fail to disperse on assay plates, although observations of individual CA-2 larvae suggest that the larvae are repelled by light. Larvae from all of the other laboratory stocks and all of the isofemale lines (except LI2 and NC5) avoid light in the photokinesis assay.

The autumn peak in campylobacter gastro-enteritis. Are the risk factors the same for travel- and UK-acquired campylobacter infections?

Background: In the autumn of 1992 there was an excess of campylobacter cases in Nottingham compared with the national average. No relative increase was seen for salmonella infections.

Methods: A case-control study with a postal questionnaire was carried out to determine exposure to possible risk factors.

Managing change: the named nurse.

Change in nursing management techniques can increase quality and continuity of nursing care. It can, however, be a difficult time for staff involved, and careful planning is required to ensure that negative attitudes do not hamper the process. The author describes the strategy used to develop the role of the named nurse in a London hospital outpatient unit.

Failure of the revised pre-donation guidelines to prevent people with a history of high-risk behaviour from donating blood.

We have evaluated the effectiveness of the alteration in the literature aimed at the self-exclusion of blood donors with a history of high-risk behaviour. Since the introduction of anti-HCV screening on 1 September 1991 all HCV-positive donors in the Trent Region have been invited for interview by Blood Transfusion medical staff to ascertain risk factors for HCV infection. We have compared the 5-month periods before (1 September, 1992 to 31 January, 1993) and after (1 February, 1993 to 30 June, 1993) the introduction of the amended literature on 1 February, 1993.

Integration between general and geriatric medicine: a needs related policy.

A joint admitting policy between a general physician and a physician in medicine for the elderly reduced the length of stay in acute medical beds by 25% without increasing the length of stay in rehabilitation beds. The basis for the cooperation was not related to age but rather to the perceived needs of the patient on admission. This method of integration between medicine and geriatrics could be implemented in most hospitals.

Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection. A case-control study of blood donors in the Trent Region (UK).

The introduction of screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) by the National Blood Transfusion Service identified donors who had acquired HCV infection. We undertook a case-control study amongst blood donors in the Trent Region to determine risks for HCV infection. A total of 74 blood donors confirmed positive for hepatitis C infection and 150 age, sex and donor venue matched controls were included in the study.

Protein C, antithrombin III and plasminogen: effect of age, sex and blood group.

We conducted a cross-sectional study of antithrombin III (ATIII), protein C (PC) and plasminogen (Plg) concentrations in a population of healthy plasma donors in the Trent Region. The distribution of values for protein C was log normal whereas for ATIII and Plg the distributions were positively skewed and differed significantly from normal and log normal. Males had higher antithrombin III concentrations (mean 1.