Many patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remain unaware of their diagnosis until they present with decompensated chronic liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Prolonged infection with HCV predicts increased risk of progression to cirrhosis and increased HCC risk. Consequently, all patients with a positive HCV RNA test should be considered for referral to specialist hepatology or infectious diseases services for prompt treatment and attempted cure.

Bronchiectasis increases in incidence and prevalence with age affecting > 1% of people aged 70 and older. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Bronchiectasis can be congenital or acquired following a lung-damaging event such as severe infection, or have an immunological aetiology, but the cause is not always found. It can be associated with inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other connective tissue diseases. Most patients with bronchiectasis present with persistent cough and daily sputum production. Bronchiectasis is diagnosed using high resolution CT.

In the UK, at least 100,000 people have an acute stroke each year. A first ever transient ischaemic attack (TIA) affects around 50 people per 100,000 per year and around 15% of people who have a first stroke have had a preceding TIA. Patients with a suspected TIA should be referred immediately for specialist assessment and investigation, to be seen within 24 hours of onset of symptoms. Patients with a suspected stroke should be admitted immediately to hospital, ideally to an acute stroke unit. Patients with a suspected TIA who have a bleeding disorder or are taking an anticoagulant should also be admitted to an acute stroke unit as haemorrhage must be excluded.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition characterised by hyperandrogenism, multifollicular ovaries and ovulatory dysfunction. It affects 8-13% of women of reproductive age and is associated with insulin resistance, hyperlipidaemia and obesity. Baseline measurements should include blood pressure and BMI. Clinical signs of hyperandrogenism including hirsutism, acne and androgenic alopecia should be assessed. A hormone profile should be done during days 1-5 of the menstrual cycle or as a random sample when there is amenorrhoea.

Endometriosis affects around one in ten women of reproductive age in the UK. NICE guidance highlights the importance of symptoms in its diagnosis. A normal abdominal or pelvic examination, ultrasound, or MRI should not exclude the diagnosis. Endometriosis should be suspected in women and adolescents who present with one or more of: chronic pelvic pain, significant dysmenorrhoea, deep dyspareunia, period-related or cyclical GI or urinary symptoms, or infertility. If endometriosis is suspected or symptoms persist, patients should be referred for further assessment.

Impetigo is a common contagious bacterial infection of the skin. The causative organisms are either Staphylococcus aureus or, less commonly, Streptococcus pyogenes. The infection can occur at any age, but it is particularly common in children, especially the pre-school and early school age years, and tends to be more frequent during the summer months. It may arise on previously normal skin or complicate a pre-existing dermatosis. The diagnosis is essentially a clinical one, but if in doubt a swab should be taken for bacteriological culture.

Atopic eczema, or atopic dermatitis, affects up to 20% of children and often presents in infancy. Cow’s milk allergy can also manifest as eczema and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Food allergy should be suspected if there is a clear history of a reaction to a food in infants with moderate to severe eczema not responding to standard treatment, in infants with very early onset eczema (under 3 months) and those with GI symptoms. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is often an early manifestation of atopic eczema. Naevus simplex is a common congenital capillary malformation occurring in up to 40% of newborns. Port wine stains are less common, affecting about 0.3% of infants. 

The optimal cut-off score of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is 11, a systematic review and meta-analysis has found. However 7-8 women out of 10 with a positive screen will not have major depression.

Statin use is associated with a reduced risk of depression and does not increase the risk of suicide, anxiety or seizures, a Swedish national cohort study has found.

Zoom can be extraordinarily time saving, cutting out all that travel involved in getting to meetings, and giving a genuine and important environmental benefit, but it cannot replace the less tangible aspects of human interaction.

Differences persist in the prevalence, treatment and control of risk factors for cardiovascular disease between men and women, an analysis of data from the Health Survey for England 2012-2017 has found. Men were more likely to have one or more risk factors than women. However, figures for both treatment and control of dyslipidaemia were significantly lower in women than men.

Prescription opioids used in early pregnancy are not associated with a substantial increase in the risk of most congenital malformations, although a small increase in the risk of oral clefts associated with their use is possible, a large US study has found.