Drugs
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The intrathecal drug-delivery system (IDDS) is one mode of infusing analgesic medications directly into the cerebrospinal fluid in close proximity to their site of action. This modality has been employed in patients with refractory pain either due to malignant or non-malignant causes for over 30 years. Unfortunately, and despite the number of years it has been in use, there is still a scarcity of rigorous evidence to guide its integration into clinical practice. ⋯ This article will review the existing literature for indications, contraindications, consensus statements, different technologies, and complications of the IDDS. Although approved analgesics for IDDS delivery are limited to morphine and ziconotide, many other analgesics, alone or in combination, are routinely used in this setting. This review will also focus on the pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and safety of intrathecal medications extensively used in clinical practice; including agents approved, unapproved, and under development.
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Laparoscopic surgery is widespread, and an increasing number of surgeries are performed laparoscopically. Early pain after laparoscopy can be similar or even more severe than that after open surgery. Thus, proactive pain management should be provided. ⋯ In the present review, the types of pain that need to be taken into account while planning pain management protocols and the wide range of analgesic options that have been assessed in laparoscopic surgery are critically assessed. Recommendations to the clinician will be made regarding how to manage acute pain and how to prevent persistent postoperative pain. It is important to identify patients at the highest risk for severe and prolonged post-operative pain, and to have a proactive strategy in place for these individuals.
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Nivolumab (Opdivo(®); Nivolumab BMS™) was the first programmed death (PD)-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to be approved for use in advanced, squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following prior chemotherapy. In the pivotal CheckMate 017 trial, intravenous nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks was associated with significantly better overall survival and progression-free survival and a significantly higher overall response rate than intravenous docetaxel in the second-line treatment of advanced, squamous NSCLC. Nivolumab was also better tolerated than docetaxel in CheckMate 017, and its adverse event profile (which included immune-mediated adverse events) was manageable. In conclusion, nivolumab represents an important advance in previously-treated, advanced, squamous NSCLC.