British journal of anaesthesia
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Review
Immune checkpoint inhibitors: a narrative review of considerations for the anaesthesiologist.
Immunotherapy has revolutionised the treatment of oncologic malignancies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors represent a new class of immunotherapy drugs. ⋯ An increasing number of patients who undergo surgery will have had treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this narrative review article, we discuss their mechanism of action, therapeutic effects, pertinent toxicities, and address specific perioperative considerations for patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Women face gender-based challenges in their medical education and career. Inequitable access to procedural training, a confidence gap, and professional identity deficit have been shown. We made a gender comparison of procedural case volume, confidence for independent practice, perceived gender and ethnic bias, and professional identity in Australasian anaesthesia trainees. ⋯ A discrepancy exists between the number of procedures performed by male and female anaesthesia trainees in Australia and New Zealand. Relative male overconfidence may be a major contributing factor to the gender confidence gap.
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Incomplete peripheral nerve blocks distal to the popliteal region are commonly considered a sciatic and femoral/saphenous nerve block failure. The existence of a much more distal innervation area of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve (PFCN) as described has not been assumed yet. We therefore investigated the distal termination of the PFCN in the lower leg. ⋯ The PFCN has a much more distal termination in the lower leg than previously demonstrated. To ensure complete anaesthesia of the lower leg and foot, the PFCN must be included in combined peripheral nerve block procedures.
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Rodent models suggest that there are sex-differences in anaesthesia-induced development neurotoxicity.
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