Physical independence and related factors among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Adopting a physically active lifestyle is advocated as a strategy to prevent loss of physical independence and support healthy aging. This study aimed to evaluate the physical independence and related factors among older adults. Materials and methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted through electronic databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Iranmedex, and Scientific Information Database from the earliest to 1 April 2022. Two researchers independently extracted information from the studies and evaluated the quality of the studies. The analysis was conducted using CMA program version 3, and each study's importance was determined based on its inverse variance. Results: Five thousand seven hundred thirty-three older adults participated in this review in six studies. All evaluated studies had high quality. The mean score of physical independence in older adults was 20.07 (SE=0.76) out of 24 (95% CI: 18.58-21.56; I2 =98.573%; P<0.001). Physical activity is very important for physical independence and reduces the risk of physical dependence in older adults. Other factors, such as sex, BMI, age, abnormal performance, timed performance, sufficiently active, muscle function, handgrip strength, lower extremity function, lower body strength, maximal isometric knee extension power, lung function, aerobic endurance, sedentary time, agility, and the prevalence of arthritis, had a significant relationship with physical independence in older adults. Conclusion: Older adults demonstrate favourable levels of physical independence. Notably, physical activity emerges as a significant determinant positively associated with such independence. Thus, policymakers and administrators are encouraged to strategize the creation of conducive environments for walking and exercise among older adults.

Resilience and related factors in caregivers of adult cancer patients: a systematic review.

Background: This systematic review aimed to investigate resilience and its related factors in caregivers of adult patients with cancer. Materials and methods: A systematic search of online electronic databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Iranmedex, and Scientific Information Database (SID) was performed using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "Psychological Resilience", "Caregiver", and "Cancer" from the earliest to 6 June 2023. The quality of the studies included in this review was evaluated using the appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool). Results: A total of 2735 caregivers of cancer patients participated in 15 studies. The majority of the studies found that caregivers of cancer patients had high levels of resilience. Factors related to the resilience of cancer patients' caregivers included caregivers' social support, caregivers' quality of life, patients' resilience, caregivers' family function, patients' performance, caregivers' age, caregivers' health status, caregivers' self-esteem, caregivers post-traumatic growth, caregivers religious, caregivers hope, caregivers positive affect, patients age, patients social support, patients resilience support, patients quality of life, caregivers' anxiety, caregivers' depression, caregivers' burden, caregivers level of education, caregivers financial problem, caregivers memory, caregivers negative affect, caregivers post-traumatic stress disorder, maternal distress, and patients post-traumatic stress disorder. Conclusion: Therefore, healthcare administrators and policymakers can enhance the resilience of caregivers and the quality of care they provide by instituting ongoing training initiatives focused on evaluating mental well-being and implementing coping strategies for managing stress and depression.

Effect of needles distance of arteriovenous fistula cannulation on hemodialysis adequacy based on KT/V: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: This study aims to assess the effect of needle distance of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) cannulation on haemodialysis adequacy based on KT/V. Materials and methods: This study was a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were divided into two groups with 3 and 6 cm needle distances using block randomization. Data acquisition transpired through a comprehensive checklist encompassing demographic variables such as age and sex, alongside clinical metrics comprising actual weight, dry weight, average dialysis duration, fistula longevity, and KT/V rate. Results: A total of 42 haemodialysis patients were enroled in this investigation, with 21 allocated to the 3 cm needle distance group and another 21 to the 6 cm needle distance group. The mean post-haemodialysis KT/V values for the 3 cm and 6 cm needle distance groups were 1.25 (SD=0.25) and 1.42 (SD=0.24), respectively, demonstrating a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). While there was no significant difference in the average pre-haemodialysis and post-haemodialysis KT/V values within the 3 cm needle distance group (t=1.93, P=0.068), the corresponding values for the 6 cm needle distance group exhibited a notable discrepancy (t=9.66, P<0.001). Conclusion: In general, a needle distance of 6 cm between arteriovenous points yielded superior enhancements in dialysis adequacy compared to a 3 cm needle distance following haemodialysis. Consequently, health administrators and policymakers may consider instituting efficacious interventions to scrutinize the care and therapeutic protocols for haemodialysis patients, involving the development of policies and applications.

Effect of family-centered care on the anxiety levels among family members of patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The present study aims to determine the effect of family-centered care on anxiety levels among family members of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Materials and methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial study that was conducted on the families of Iranian cardiac surgery patients. In the intervention group, family-centered care was implemented, and the content of the intervention included providing informational and emotional support to the family member and the family member's participation in patient care according to the set framework. Results: A total of 144 family members of patients undergoing cardiac surgery were included in this study. Among the 144 family members, 71 were in the intervention group, and 73 were in the control group. The changes in the state anxiety score before and after the intervention were significant between the two groups, and the changes were higher in the control group (P=0.043). Also, there was no significant difference in the changes in trait anxiety before and after the intervention between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: In general, the high prevalence of anxiety in patients' families has negative functional consequences on both patients and their families. To reduce the level of anxiety, special attention should be paid to knowing the effective factors and appropriate coping methods. Nevertheless, it is important to note that additional research is warranted to delve deeper into this matter in future studies.

The Relationship Between Spirituality and Religiosity with Death Anxiety Among Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to summarize the evidence regarding the relationship between spirituality and religiosity with death anxiety (DA) among cancer patients. This systematic review was performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) checklist. An extensive search was conducted on electronic databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Iranmedex, and Scientific Information Database (SID) via keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings from the earliest to February 9, 2022. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool). Fifteen studies were selected for inclusion in this systematic review. Nine and six studies assessed the relationship between spirituality and religiosity with DA in cancer patients, respectively. Most studies had a negative relationship between spirituality (n = 8) and religiosity (n = 4) with DA. In sum, most studies showed that religion and spirituality are negatively related to DA in patients with cancer.

The Association between Occupational Burnout and Spiritual Well-being in Emergency Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: This study evaluated the occupational burnout (OB) and spiritual well-being (SWB) of emergency nurses as well as the associations between these variables. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in six hospitals and emergency medical centers affiliated with Ardebil University of Medical Sciences (Ardebil, Iran), in 2020. Data were collected via socio-demographic, Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaires. Results: This study included 239 emergency department nurses. The mean age of the participants was 34.4±6.4 years. The mean of existential well-being and religious well-being was 40.3±8.7 and 41.0±9.2, respectively. The results indicated that moderate (P=0.007) and severe (P<0.001) personal accomplishment was a positive and significant predictor of the SWB in emergency department nurses. Conclusion: Proper planning and provision of suitable educational programs in the dimension of the SWB of nurses prevent the creation and continuation of OB and increase the self-efficacy and job satisfaction of emergency medical staff, resulting in better patient care.

Psychometric evaluation of the heart failure somatic perception scale in Iranian heart failure patients: a cross-sectional study.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric evaluation of heart failure somatic perception scale (HFSPS) in Iranian heart failure patients. Materials and methods: A total of 220 heart failure (HF) patients were enroled in the study. Data gathering was conducted via consecutive sampling from August 2022 to April 2023. Face validity, content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency were used to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the HFSPS. Construct validity was done through confirmatory factor analysis and convergent validity. Convergent validity between HFSPS and symptom status questionnaire-heart failure was measured using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Cronbach's alpha and Macdonald's omega coefficient were used to evaluate the reliability of instruments. Results: A total of 220 HF patients participated in this study. Their mean age was 66.46 (SD=11.40). Among the participants, 70% were men. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis evaluation showed the goodness of fit indices of the final HFSPS model after modification was within an acceptable range (χ2=306.18 P<0.001, Minimum Discrepancy Function Divided by Degrees of Freedom=2.47, Comparative of Fit Index=0.91, Tucker-Lewis index=0.90, Adjusted goodness of fit index=0.81, Parsimonious norm fit index=0.70, root mean square error of approximation=0.082). Convergent validity between HFSPS and symptom status questionnaire-heart failure indicated a positive and significant correlation. Cronbach's alpha coefficient in the HFSPS was 0.868, and McDonald's omega coefficient in the HFSPS was 0.832. Conclusion: Overall, the Persian version of the HFSPS was determined to be a reliable and valid scale among Iranians with HF.

The effect of melatonin on sleep quality and cognitive function of individuals undergoing hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: and purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of melatonin on sleep quality and cognitive function of individuals undergoing hemodialysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 102 eligible individuals were assigned to two equal intervention and control groups. The intervention group received melatonin 3 mg tablets half an hour before going to bed for six weeks, while the control group was given a placebo with similar conditions. RESULTS: This study had 102 participants who were divided into intervention and control groups. The mean age of the participants was 58.30 (SD = 12.10). Among the participants, 54.90% were female. Moreover, 33.33% of the individuals received dialysis for four years or longer. After the intervention, the mean and standard deviation of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was 12.66 (SD = 3.09) in the intervention group and 18.86 (SD = 3.8) in the control group (P < 0.001). Moreover, the mean sleep quality index in the intervention group showed a statistically significant difference before and after the intervention (P < 0.001); the PSQI score declined from 20.21 to 12.66. Likewise, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups after intervention in the mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) index (P = 0.002); it was 24.27 (SD = 3.42) in the intervention group and 22.15 (SD = 2.3) in the control group. The mean MoCA score in the intervention group showed a significant difference before and after the intervention (P < 0.001), increasing from 21.19 to 24.27. CONCLUSION: According to the study's findings, melatonin can improve individuals undergoing hemodialysis' cognitive function and sleep quality.

Needle Direction and Distance of Arteriovenous Fistula Cannulation in Hemodialysis Adequacy; a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the evidence regarding the impact of needle direction and distance of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) cannulation on KT/V (where k is the dialyzer urea clearance, t, the duration of dialysis, and V, the volume of distribution of urea) and access recirculation (AR) as hemodialysis (HD) adequacy criteria. Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was performed on international and domestic electronic databases from the earliest to June 4, 2022 using keywords. Analysis was performed in STATA software v.14. Results: Three randomized control trials (RCTs) and four non-RCT articles were included in the final review. Six studies reported the effects of direction, while four mentioned the effects of distances of AVF cannulation on outcomes of HD adequacy based on KT/V or AR. Results of three non-RCT studies showed that retrograde direction decreased KT/V more than antegrade direction (ES: 0.44, 95% CI: -0.38 to 1.27). Two non-RCT studies showed that antegrade decreased AR compared to the retrograde direction (ES: -0.64, 95%CI: -1.94 to 0.67). However, the results of two RCTs indicated uncertainty about this issue. Two of the four studies suggested that a distance of 5 cm or more in arterial and venous needles had greater adequacy than a distance of less than 5 cm. However, other studies did not confirm this finding. Conclusion: Overall comparison of the results qualitatively and quantitatively indicated uncertainty about the effects of direction and distance of AVF cannulation on HD adequacy outcomes. More studies with high-quality designs, such as RCTs, are required to better understand and adjudicate the effects of needle direction and distance of AVF cannulation on HD adequacy outcomes.

Prevalence of surgical wound infection and related factors in patients after long bone surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to provide an overview of the prevalence of surgical wound infection and related factors in patients after long bone surgery. A comprehensive, systematic search was conducted in different international electronic databases, such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Persian electronic databases such as Iranmedex and Scientific Information Database using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "Prevalence", "Surgical wound infection", "Surgical site infection" and "Orthopedics" from the earliest to the May 1, 2023. The appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool) evaluates the quality of the included studies. A total of 71 854 patients undergoing long bone surgery participated in 12 studies. The pooled prevalence of surgical wound infection in patients who underwent long bone surgery reported in the 12 studies was 3.3% (95% CI: 1.5%-7.2%; I2 = 99.39%; p < 0.001). The pooled prevalence of surgical wound infection in male and female patients who underwent long bone surgery was 4.6% (95% CI: 1.7%-11.7%; p < 0.001; I2 = 99.34%) and 2.6% (95% CI: 1.0%-6.3%; I2 = 98.84%; p < 0.001), respectively. The pooled prevalence of surgical wound infection in patients with femur surgery sites reported in nine studies was 3.7% (95% CI: 2.1-6.4%; I2 = 93.43%; p < 0.001). The pooled prevalence of surgical wound infection in open and close fractures was 16.4% (95% CI: 8.2%-30.2%; I2 = 95.83%; p < 0.001) and 2.9% (95% CI: 1.5%-5.5%; I2 = 96.40%; p < 0.001), respectively. The pooled prevalence of surgical wound infection in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) was 4.6% (95% CI: 2.3%-8.9%; I2 = 81.50%; p < 0.001), 2.7% (95% CI: 1.2%-6.0%; I2 = 83.82%; p < 0.001) and 3.0% (95% CI: 1.4%-6.4%; I2 = 69.12%; p = 0.006), respectively. In general, the different prevalence of surgical wound infection in patients undergoing surgical treatment after long bone fracture may be caused by underlying factors (gender and co-morbidity) and fracture-related factors (surgery site and type of fracture).

A systematic review of nursing students' attitude and related factors towards pressure ulcer prevention.

The purpose of this review study is to investigate the attitude of nursing students toward the prevention of pressure ulcers (PUs) and related factors. From February 1, 2023, a comprehensive search was conducted in international and Persian electronic databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Iranmedex, and Scientific information database (SID). The keywords obtained from Medical Subject Headings, including "Attitude", "Nursing students", and "Pressure ulcer" were used in this search. The quality assessment of the present studies in this systematic review was based on the appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool). A total of 6454 nursing students participated in ten cross-sectional studies. All students were studying at the undergraduate level and 81.20% of them were female. Nursing students were in the first (39.27%), second (28.19%), and third and fourth (32.54%) academic years. Among the participants, 49.86% have completed at least 2 clinical units. The mean scores of attitudes toward PU prevention in nursing students based on attitude toward PU prevention (APuP) and researcher-made questionnaires were 75.01% and 68.82%, respectively. The attitude of nursing students was influenced by various factors, including age, sex, academic year, clinical experience, number of clinical units, experience in caring for PU patients, previous courses on PU in the curriculum, and contribution of training to knowledge. Also, in the present study, the positive relationship between the attitude and knowledge of nursing students was shown as the only significant correlation. In sum, the attitude of the majority of nursing students toward the prevention of PUs was at a satisfactory level. Therefore, it is expected to transfer the necessary knowledge to them with proper planning so that preventive actions can be carried out by following the guidelines.

Risk predictions of hospital-acquired pressure injury in the intensive care unit based on a machine learning algorithm.

Pressure injury (PI), or local damage to soft tissues and skin caused by prolonged pressure, remains controversial in the medical world. Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) were frequently reported to suffer PIs, with a heavy burden on their life and expenditures. Machine learning (ML) is a Section of artificial intelligence (AI) that has emerged in nursing practice and is increasingly used for diagnosis, complications, prognosis, and recurrence prediction. This study aims to investigate hospital-acquired PI (HAPI) risk predictions in ICU based on a ML algorithm by R programming language analysis. The former evidence was gathered through PRISMA guidelines. The logical analysis was applied via an R programming language. ML algorithms based on usage rate included logistic regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Distributed tree (DT), Artificial neural networks (ANN), SVM (Support Vector Machine), Batch normalisation (BN), GB (Gradient Boosting), expectation-maximisation (EM), Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). Six cases were related to risk predictions of HAPI in the ICU based on an ML algorithm from seven obtained studies, and one study was associated with the Detection of PI risk. Also, the most estimated risksSerum Albumin, Lack of Activity, mechanical ventilation (MV), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), Surgery, Cardiovascular adequacy, ICU stay, Vasopressor, Consciousness, Skin integrity, Recovery Unit, insulin and oral antidiabetic (INS&OAD), Complete blood count (CBC), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score, Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), Steroid, Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM), Braden score, Faecal incontinence, Serum Creatinine (SCr) and age. In sum, HAPI prediction and PI risk detection are two significant areas for using ML in PI analysis. Also, the current data showed that the ML algorithm, including LR and RF, could be regarded as the practical platform for developing AI tools for diagnosing, prognosis, and treating PI in hospital units, especially ICU.

Prevalence of non-accidental burns and related factors in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Non-accidental burns (NABs) in children had some adverse effects, such as severe burns, requiring skin grafting, and mortality. Previous studies reported NABs in the form of neglect, suspected abuse, and child abuse. Also, different statistics were estimated for the prevalence of NABs in children. Therefore, the current study aimed to comprehensively review and summarise the literature on the prevalence of NABs in children. Also, factors related to NABs as a secondary aim were considered in this review. Keywords combined using Boolean operators and searches were performed in international electronic databases, such as Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. Only studies in English were considered from the earliest to 1 March 2023. The analysis was performed using STATA software version 14. Finally, 29 articles were retrieved for the quantitative analysis. Results found that the prevalence of child abuse, suspected abuse, neglect, 'child abuse or suspect abused', and 'abuse, suspect abused, or neglect' was 6% (ES: 0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.05-0.07), 12% (ES: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.09-0.15), 21% (ES: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.07-0.35), 8% (ES: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.07-0.09), and 15% (ES: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.13-0.16) among burns victims, respectively. Also, factors related to NABs are categorised into age and gender, agent and area of burns, and family features. Considering the results of the current study, planning for rapid diagnosis and designing a process to manage NABs in children is necessary.

Effect of Oral Care with Povidone-Iodine in the Prevention of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia; a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common nosocomial infections affecting one-third of patients with mechanical ventilation. This study aimed to synthesize available evidence regarding the effect of treatment with povidone-iodine (PI) among adult patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) for the prevention of VAP. Methods: An extensive search was conducted in online databases, including PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, from the earliest records until January 1, 2023. STATA software v14 was used for statistical analysis. Publication bias was assessed via funnel plot, Begg's and Egger's tests. A P-value less than 0.1 was considered statistically significant for publication bias value. Results: Four studies were included in the meta-analysis. Three studies showed rhat PI decreased VAP compared to the placebo group, but it was not statistically significant (RR: 0.61, 95%CI: 0.25 to 1.47, Z=1.10, P=0.27, I2:71.5%). One study compared the effect of PI with chlorhexidine on the rate of VAP, the difference between which was not statistically significant (RR: 1.50, 95%CI: 0.46 to 4.87, Z=0.67, P=0.50, I2:0). Two studies demonstrated that the use of PI intervention compared to placebo decreased the average length of stay in ICU; however, it was not statistically significant (WMD: -0.35, 95%CI:-3.90 to 3.20, Z=0.19, P=0.85, I2:0). Also, three studies showed that using PI had almost no effect on mortality rate compared to placebo (RR: 1.05, 95%CI: 0.66 to 1.53, Z=0.8, P=0.27, I2:29.0%). Conclusion: More rigorously designed randomized clinical trials and further evidence are required to make a better decision/comparison about using PI as a suitable choice for preventing VAP among adult patients admitted to the ICU.

Perceived stigmatisation and reliability of questionnaire in the survivors with burns wound: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Perceived stigmatisation (PS) can cause different effects on burns survivors such as depression, low self-esteem, body image disturbance, and social anxiety. Current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the average PS among the burns survivor population and the average reliability of the PS questionnaire (PSQ). A comprehensive systematic search was conducted in various international electronic databases, such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Persian electronic databases such as Iranmedex, and Scientific Information Database (SID) using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "Stigmatisation", "Burns", "Reliability", and "Questionnaire" from the earliest to February 1, 2023. The COSMIN and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklists were applied to evaluate the risk of bias. Data analysis was performed in STATA V.14 and JAMOVI v 2.3.24 software. The analysis consisted of two sections. Firstly, the overall weighted average of PS was calculated based on mean and standard deviation. Then, the reliability average of PSQ was calculated with the reliability generalisation method based on the alpha coefficient, questionnaire items, and sample size of each study. Finally, eight articles were included in the quantitative analysis. The results showed the weighted average of PS was 2.14 (ES: 2.14, 95%CI: 1.77-2.51, Z = 11.40, I2 :97.8%, P < 0.001). The average of PS in the factors of confused/staring behaviour, absence of friendly behaviour, and hostile behaviour was 2.36 (ES: 2.36, 95%CI: 2.05-2.67, Z = 14.86, I2 :92.7%, P < 0.001), 2.13 (ES: 2.13, 95%CI: 1.87-2.39, Z = 16.22, I2 :93.8%, P < 0.001) and 2.07 (ES: 2.07, 95%CI: 1.67-2.47, Z = 10.05, I2 :96.5%, P < 0.001), respectively. The analysis showed that the overall coefficient alpha of the PSQ was 0.88 (ES: 0.88, 95%CI: 0.851-0.910, Z = 58.7, I2 : 95.04%, P < 0.001). Also, the alpha coefficient of factors including confused/staring behaviour, absence of friendly behaviour, and hostile behaviour were 0.847 (ES: 0.847, 95%CI: 0.770-0.924, Z = 21.6, I2 :99.13%, P < 0.001), 0.860 (ES: 0.860, 95%CI: 0.808-0.912, Z = 32.4, I2 :98.02%, P < 0.001) and 0.899 (ES: 0.899, 95%CI: 0.829-0.968, Z = 21.33, I2 : 0.0%, P < 0.001), respectively. In sum, the current study showed that the average PS was 2.14 out of 5 points. Most survivors and parents reported confused/starring behaviour as a common perceived behaviour from different individuals. Also, the average reliability of PSQ was 0.88, and it had acceptable reliability. More studies are required to better judge the level of PS among different age groups. Also, the psychometric properties of PSQ in different cultures are an essential issue.

A systematic review of medical science students' knowledge and related factors towards burns first aids.

This systematic review aims to examine the knowledge of medical science students about burn first aid. A comprehensive, systematic search was performed in different international electronic databases, such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Persian electronic databases such as Iranmedex, and Scientific Information Database (SID) using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "Knowledge", "First aid", "Medical science student" and "Burn" from the earliest to February 1, 2023. The quality of the studies included in this systematic review was evaluated by using the appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool). Thirteen studies had a total of 5046 students studying medical sciences. Among them, 62.24% were female and 77.67% were medical students. The studies included in this systematic review were conducted in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, and Malaysia. Medical science students' average knowledge of first aid for burns is 56.92 out of 100, which is considered to be a moderate level of knowledge. Factors such as the experience of first aid training, academic year, clinical experience, and economic status had a significant positive relationship with the knowledge of medical science students about first aid for burns. Also, factors such as age, academic specialisation, academic year, information sources, and fathers' occupation had a significant relationship with the knowledge of medical students about first aid for burns. Therefore, it is suggested that healthcare managers and policymakers make the necessary plans to ensure that first aid training courses are implemented during medical science students' studies as a part of their curriculum.

Acute burns during the COVID-19 pandemic: A one-year retrospective study of 611 patients at a referral burn centre in northern Iran.

Patients with acute burns are more vulnerable to COVID-19 because of physiologically weak immune systems. This study aimed to assess and compare individual characteristics, clinical features, and clinical outcomes of acute burn among COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. A retrospective study, with data collected from 611 acute burn patients with or without a COVID-19 diagnosis referred to a burn centre in Iran. Data were collected from April 2020 to 2021. The mean age of acute burns patients with COVID-19 was higher compared with acute burns patients with non-COVID-19 (47.82 vs. 32.59 years, P < .001). Acute burns occurred more frequently in COVID-19 patients with comorbidities compared with non-COVID-19 patients (48.72% vs. 26.92%, P = .003). 58.97% of COVID-19 patients and 55.42% of non-COVID-19 patients had grade II & III and II burns, respectively (P < .001). The mean total body surface area of the burn was higher in COVID-19 patients compared with non-COVID-19 patients (32.69% vs. 16.22%, P < .001). Hospitalisation in the intensive care unit (ICU) was higher in COVID-19 patients than in non-COVID-19 patients (76.92% vs. 15.73%, P < .001). Length of stay in hospital and ICU, the cost of hospitalisation, and waiting time for the operating room was higher in COVID-19 patients compared with non-COVID-19 patients (15.30 vs. 3.88 days, P < .001; 9.61 vs. 0.75 days, P < .001; 30 430 628.717 vs. 10 219 192.44 rials, P = .011; 0.84 vs. 0.24 min, P < .001, respectively). Intubation and mortality in-hospital were higher in COVID-19 patients compared with non-COVID-19 patients (41.02% vs. 6.99%, P < .001; 35.90% vs. 6.12%, P < .001, respectively). Therefore, it is recommended that health managers and policymakers develop a care plan to provide high-quality care to acute burns patients with COVID-19, especially in low-income countries.

Caregivers' knowledge with burned children and related factors towards burn first aid: A systematic review.

This systematic review aimed to examine the caregivers' knowledge with burned children and related factors towards burn first aid. A comprehensive, systematic search was performed in different international electronic databases, such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Persian electronic databases such as Iranmedex, and Scientific Information Database using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "Knowledge", "First aid", "Caregiver", "Burn", and "Child" from the earliest to the December 1, 2022. The quality of the studies included in this systematic review was evaluated by using the appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool). A total of 11 763 caregivers of children with burns were enrolled in 14 studies. Of the participants, 78.81% were female and 41.15% had a university education. The mean score of caregivers' knowledge with burned children towards burn first aid was 51.44 out of 100. The knowledge of caregivers of burned children towards burn first aid had a significant positive relationship with the level of education, first aid training, age of caregivers, history of burn, number of children, monthly income, social status, and attitude. In addition, caregivers' knowledge had a significant negative relationship with the number of children. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between caregivers' knowledge and level of education, monthly income, smoking, and previous knowledge of first aid. The level of caregivers' knowledge with burned children towards burn first aid was moderate. Therefore, health managers and policymakers can improve the knowledge of caregivers of burned children towards burn first aid by creating suitable platforms for face-to-face training as well as online training using websites.

Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on pain intensity of children with burns: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Pain is one of the complications associated with burns, which can lead to anxiety and sleeplessness in children. Various studies evaluated the effects of non-pharmacological interventions on burn wound care. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of non-pharmacological interventions on pain intensity of children with burns. A comprehensive systematic search was conducted in various international electronic databases, such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Persian electronic databases such as Iranmedex, and Scientific Information Database using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as 'Non-pharmacological', 'Virtual reality', 'Pain', 'Burn', 'Wound' and 'Child' from the earliest to December 1, 2022. The risk of bias in the final articles was also assessed with the Version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials (RoB 2). Finally, a total of 1005 burn patients were included in 19 studies. The age range of the patients was from 0.5 to 19 years. Of the participants, 50.05% were in the intervention group. All studies had a randomised clinical trial design. The results found that non-pharmacological interventions significantly reduced pain intensity in children (ES: -0.73, 95% CI: -1.08 to -0.38, Z = 4.09, I2 :79.8, P < .001). Virtual reality (VR) (ES: -0.54, 95% CI: -1.19 to -0.18, Z = 2.90, I2 :72.9%, P = .004) and non-VR (ES: -0.86, 95% CI: -1.45 to -0.27, Z = 2.86, I2 :91.4%, P = .04) interventions decreased pain intensity significantly in children based sub-group analysis. Non-pharmacological interventions significantly reduced the pain intensity of dressing removal (ES: -0.77, 95% CI: -1.34 to -0.20, Z = 66.3, I2 :91.8%, P = .008), dressing application (ES: -0.53, 95% CI: -0.97 to -0.09, Z = 2.37, I2 :60.8%, P = .02), and physical therapy (ES: -1.18, 95% CI: -2.10 to -0.26, Z = 2.51, I2 :88.0%, P = .01). Also, interventions reduced the pain of burn wound care (ES: -0.29, 95% CI: -1.01 to 0.44, Z = 0.78, I2 :72.6%, P = .43), but it was statistically insignificant. In sum, the result of the present study indicated that using non-pharmacological interventions significantly reduced pain intensity in children. The reduction of pain intensity was greater in non-VR than in VR interventions. Future studies should focus on comparing VR interventions with non-VR and single versus multi-modal distraction to clarify the effectiveness of each.