ObjectiveThe adherence to public health recommendations to control COVID-19 spread is influenced by public knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP). We performed this cross-sectional study to assess the levels and determinants of public KAP towards COVID-19 in a large, multinational sample.DesignCross-sectional study (survey).SettingThe questionnaire was distributed to potential respondents via online platforms.Participants71 890 individuals from 22 countries.MethodsWe formulated a four-section questionnaire in English, followed by validation and translation into seven languages. The questionnaire was distributed (May to June 2020) and each participant received a score for each KAP section.ResultsOverall, the participants had fair knowledge (mean score: 19.24±3.59) and attitudes (3.72±2.31) and good practices (12.12±1.83) regarding COVID-19. About 92% reported moderate to high compliance with national lockdown. However, significant gaps were observed: only 68.2% knew that infected individuals may be asymptomatic; 45.4% believed that antibiotics are an effective treatment; and 55.4% stated that a vaccine has been developed (at the time of data collection). 71.9% believed or were uncertain that COVID-19 is a global conspiracy; 36.8% and 51% were afraid of contacting doctors and Chinese people, respectively. Further, 66.4% reported the pandemic had moderate to high negative effects on their mental health. Female gender, higher education and urban residents had significantly (p≤0.001) higher knowledge and practice scores. Further, we observed significant correlations between all KAP scores.ConclusionsAlthough the public have fair/good knowledge and practices regarding COVID-19, significant gaps should be addressed. Future awareness efforts should target less advantaged groups and future studies should develop new strategies to tackle COVID-19 negative mental health effects.

Objective: To describe the mortality difference between acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and non-AIS groups within COVID-19 patients. Materials & methods: We included observational studies through September 2020 that categorized COVID-19 patients into two groups (with and without AIS). Results: Eight studies with a total sample size of 19,399 COVID-19 patients were included. The pooled risk difference showed that patients with COVID-19 who developed AIS had significantly higher mortality than those without AIS by a risk difference of 24% (95% CI: 0.10–0.39; p = 0.001). In two studies, the COVID-19+AIS group had significantly higher lymphocytes, procalcitonin and creatinine levels. Conclusion: Developing AIS significantly adds to the mortality of COVID-19. Timely interventions to manage those patients are strongly recommended.

Background Abdominal binder is a non‐pharmacological method of relieving pain after surgical procedures. Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of the abdominal binder in relieving pain and distress scores after cesarean delivery (CD). Search strategy The following terms were searched: cesarean section, cesarean, caesarean, abdominal deliveries, C‐section, abdominal delivery, abdominal binding, binder, and abdominal binder. Selection criteria Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with patients undergoing CD receiving an abdominal binder compared with non‐users of the abdominal binder. Data collection and analysis Five electronic databases were searched until November 2019. Records were screened for eligibility. Data were extracted independently and analyzed. The main outcomes were pain and distress scores. Results The final analysis included six RCTs. Overall effect estimate favored the abdominal binder group over the control group in the following outcomes: VAS pain scores after 24 h (mean difference [MD] −1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] −3.14 to −0.39; P = 0.01), VAS scores after 48 h (MD −1.21; 95% CI −1.51 to −0.90; P < 0.001), distress score after 24 h (MD −1.87; 95% CI −3.01 to −0.73; P = 0.001), and distress score after 48 h (MD −1.87; 95% CI −3.07 to −0.67; P = 0.002). Conclusion The abdominal binder could be an effective, simple, non‐pharmacological option of relieving pain and distress after CD.

Objective This study aims to identify the risk factors for cardiovascular mortality in melanoma patients. Methods Data of melanoma patients were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. We used Person's chi-square test to assess the relationships between categorical variables. We used Kaplan-Meier test in the univariate analysis and Cox regression test for the multivariate analysis. Analyses were conducted using the SPSS software. ResultsWe analyzed data of 194 503 melanoma patients. Among them, 28 818 (14.8 %) died due to cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular-specific survival was higher in younger patients, women, married, localized disease, superficial spreading melanoma and in patients who had surgery. It was lower in patients who received chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The multivariate analysis revealed a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients aged 50-64 years [hazard ratio (HR), 7.297; 95% confidence interval (CI), 6.68-7.97], patients aged ≥65

Purpose We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of flow-diverter stents (FDs) in the management of posterior circulation cerebral aneurysms and compare FD efficacy between anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms. Methods We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for relevant studies through March 2020. Studies assessing FDs for posterior circulation aneurysms that included ≥20 treated aneurysms were included. Moreover, the studies compared FD efficacy between anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms were included. Data regarding angiographic aneurysmal occlusion, procedural complications, mortality, and morbidity were extracted and pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis model. Results Fourteen studies with a total of 659 patients and 676 posterior circulation aneurysms were included. The pooled rate of aneurysmal occlusion at long-term angiographic follow-up was 78% [95% confidence interval (CI), 71–85]. The pooled rates of intraparenchymal hemorrhage, ischemia, and procedure-related mortality and neurological morbidity were 2%, 8%, 7%, and 6%, respectively. Complete occlusion occurred in 82.4% of the posterior circulation aneurysm subgroup and 77.5% of the anterior circulation aneurysm subgroup. The difference was not significant (relative risk 1.01; 95% CI, 0.86–1.19; p = 0.91). Regression analysis showed that elderly patients and females had higher morbidity. Conclusion Posterior circulation aneurysms can be effectively treated with FDs with comparable occlusion rates to those in anterior circulation aneurysms. However, periprocedural complications are not negligible.