Association between psychological discomforts and sleep quality among people living with HIV/AIDS.

BACKGROUND: Psychological discomfort and sleep problems are considered separate disorders. Due to the high prevalence of both disorders among people living with HIV (PLWH), this study was designed to evaluate how those challenges are present among PLWH. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from a national survey of 1185 confirmed PLWH from 15 provinces in Iran from April to August 2019. Psychological discomfort and sleep quality were assessed using standardized versions of related Persian questionnaires. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between psychological discomfort and sleep quality in PLWH. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of poor sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and stress was 47.71%, 50.95%, 44.26%, and 41.77%, respectively. The results of multivariate-adjusted logistic regression showed that each psychological discomfort covariate increased the odds of poor sleep quality. Depression by adjusting for anxiety and stress, anxiety by adjusting for depression and stress, and stress by adjusting for depression and anxiety all increased the odds of poor sleep quality. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of psychological discomfort was observed in PLWH. Depression, anxiety, and stress were strongly associated with sleep quality. PLWH needed more attention and social support in order to reduce sleep and psychological issues.

Isolated Sixth Cranial Nerve Palsy as Initial Presentation of Pituitary Apoplexy: A Case Report.

Pituitary apoplexy is a serious condition, which if left untreated, might lead to irreversible life-long complications. Hence, pituitary apoplexy should always be included in the differential diagnoses of a patient with an isolated sixth cranial nerve (CN) palsy. This report highlights the case of a patient presenting with isolated CN palsy associated with pituitary apoplexy. Although pituitary adenomas are common, they seldom present with isolated abducent nerve palsy without any other CN involvement. The 47-year-old female patient presented with acute right eye pain, diplopia, and a squint. Examination revealed an isolated unilateral sixth CN palsy. Brain MRI showed a sellar and suprasellar mass suggestive of hemorrhagic pituitary apoplexy. The patient was transferred to neurosurgery and underwent transsphenoidal resection of a pituitary macroadenoma. Postoperative follow-up showed clinical improvement. It is, thus, imperative for physicians to have the knowledge to recognize an isolated sixth cranial nerve palsy and its associated causes.