Metformin is the only biguanide oral hypoglycemic drug, that is used to treat patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus. There are some reports of metformin being associated with decreased serum levels of vitamin B12 (VB12). The objective of this study is to systematically analyze the impact of metformin on the frequency of VB12 deficiency and serum levels of VB12. A search of various databases provided 18 retrospective cohort studies and 11 randomized controlled trials. Pooled estimates of odds ratio with 95% confidence interval using random effect model were conducted. Studies were examined for heterogeneity, publication bias and sensitivity analysis. Separate analysis of randomized control trials (RCTs) including both low-risk and high-risk bias was also conducted. 29 studies were selected with a total of 8,089 patients. 19 studies were rated intermediate or high quality. Primary outcome suggested increased incidence of VB12 deficiency in metformin group (OR = 2.45, 95% CI 1.74-3.44, P < 0.0001.) Heterogeneity was relatively high (I(2) = 53%), with minor publication bias. Secondary outcome suggested lower serum VB12 concentrations in metformin group (Mean difference = -65.8, 95% CI -78.1 to -53.6 pmol/L, P < 0.00001) with high heterogeneity (I(2) = 98%,) and low publication bias. RCTs analysis of low-and high-risk group revealed similar trends. We conclude that metformin treatment is significantly associated with an increase in incidence of VB12 deficiency and reduced serum VB12 levels.

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f Health care-associated infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infection, have been linked to delays in appropriate antibiotic therapy and an increased mortality rate. The objective of this study was to evaluate intrinsic virulence, bacterial resistance, and clinical outcomes of health care-associated bloodstream infections (HCABSIs) in comparison with those of community-acquired bloodstream infections (CABSIs) caused by P. aeruginosa. We conducted a retrospective multicenter study of consecutive P. aeruginosa bacteremia patients at two university-affiliated hospitals. Demographic, clinical, and treatment data were collected. Microbiologic analyses included in vitro susceptibility profiles and type III secretory (TTS) phenotypes. Sixty CABSI and 90 HCABSI episodes were analyzed. Patients with HCABSIs had more organ dysfunction at the time of bacteremia (P ‫؍‬ 0.05) and were more likely to have been exposed to antimicrobial therapy (P < 0.001) than those with CABSIs. Ninety-two percent of the carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa infections were characterized as HCABSIs. The 30-day mortality rate for CABSIs was 26% versus 36% for HCABSIs (P ‫؍‬ 0.38). The sequential organ failure assessment score at the time of bacteremia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 1.3) and the TTS phenotype (HR 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.9) were found to be independent predictors of the 30-day mortality rate. No mortality rate difference was observed between CABSIs and HCABSIs caused by P. aeruginosa. Severity of illness and expression of TTS proteins were the strongest predictors of the 30-day mortality rate due to P. aeruginosa bacteremia. Future P. aeruginosa bacteremia trials designed to neutralize TTS proteins are warranted. Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are serious clinical events with life-threatening consequences. The total number of deaths resulting from nosocomial BSIs is difficult to estimate and varies greatly, depending on the etiology. However, the attributable mortality rate may be as high as 80% among patients in intensive care units (1). Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounts for 3 to 7% of all BSIs and 23 to 26% of Gram-negative bacteremias (2, 3). Pneumonia, pancreaticobiliary tract infection, indwelling catheters, and urinary tract infection have all been implicated as potential sources of infection (1, 4). Despite recent advances in critical-care management, mortality rates due to P. aeruginosa BSI remain high, ranging between 27 and 48% (1, 5).Poor outcomes of P. aeruginosa BSIs have been associated with both microbial and host factors. Neutropenia, a respiratory source of bacteremia, shock, renal failure, and metastatic foci of infection are among the host factors implicated in increased mortality rates (4, 6). Bacterial attributes include a high degree of intrinsic virulence (7, 8) and widespread antibiotic resistance. P. aeruginosa is intrinsically resistant to many structurally unrelated antimicrobial agents (9) because of the low permeability of its outer membrane, the constitutiv...

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are shared by many patients. They both affect sleep and the quality of life of affected subjects. A critical review of the literature supports an association between the two disorders in both combat-related and non-combat-related PTSD. The exact mechanism linking PTSD and SDB is not fully understood. A complex interplay between sleep fragmentation and neuroendocrine pathways is suggested. The overlap of symptoms between PTSD and SDB raises diagnostic challenges that may require a novel approach in the methods used to diagnose the coexisting disorders. Similar therapeutic challenges face patients and providers when treating concomitant PTSD and SDB. Although continuous positive airway pressure therapy imparts a mitigating effect on PTSD symptomatology, lack of both acceptance and adherence are common. Future research should focus on ways to improve adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy and on the use of alternative therapeutic methods for treating SDB in patients with PTSD.

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In a limited number of the women with PCOS, BMI and serum testosterone are only variables that significantly decrease after 3 months of treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists. Larger sample size studies with longer durations of treatment may be required to examine potential benefits of these medications in improving insulin sensitivity.