Analytical performance, agreement and user-friendliness of six point-of-care testing urine analysers for urinary tract infection in general practice.

Objective: Various point-of-care testing (POCT) urine analysers are commercially available for routine urine analysis in general practice. The present study compares analytical performance, agreement and user-friendliness of six different POCT urine analysers for diagnosing urinary tract infection in general practice.

Setting: All testing procedures were performed at a diagnostic centre for primary care in the Netherlands.

Cobalamin status and its relation with depression, cognition and neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using metformin.

Aims: To investigate the associations of vitamin B12 (cobalamin and holotranscobalamin) status with depression, cognition and neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes using metformin.

Methods: In an observational study, among 550 type 2 diabetes patients using metformin, cobalamin and holotranscobalamin (holoTCII) levels were measured at the annual diabetes checkup, and deficiencies were defined as <148 and <21 pmol/L, respectively. Depression and cognitive function were assessed with corresponding International Classification of Primary Care codes and questionnaires; neuropathy with medical record data and a questionnaire.

Influence of duration and dose of metformin on cobalamin deficiency in type 2 diabetes patients using metformin.

Metformin use is associated with cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency. However, the influence of both duration and dose of metformin is unclear. Studies using holotranscobalamin, a marker for cellular cobalamin deficiency, are scarce.

Analytical performance, agreement and user-friendliness of five C-reactive protein point-of-care tests.

Background: Point-of-care (POC) C-reactive protein (CRP) testing is increasingly used in primary care to assist general practitioners (GPs) in the diagnostic workup for various complaints. The present study compares analytical performance, agreement and user-friendliness of five of these POC CRP tests.

Methods: The following five POC CRP tests were evaluated: Afinion and NycoCard Reader II (both Alere), Eurolyser Smart 700/340 (Eurolyser), QuikRead go and QuikRead 101 (both Orion Diagnostica).