Does preprocedural ultrasound prior to lumbar neuraxial anesthesia or analgesia increase first-pass success in adults with obesity? A systematic review.

Background And Aims: Preprocedural ultrasound (PPU) reduces the risk of technical failure in non-obese patients and when technical difficulty is predicted. We conducted this review to determine if PPU improves first-pass needle insertion success for neuraxial anesthesia in patients with obesity.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review without meta-analysis, due to the small number of included studies.

The role of natural killer cells in hepatocellular carcinoma development and treatment: A narrative review.

A major obstacle for treatment of HCC is the inadequate efficacy and limitation of the available therapeutic options. Despite the recent advances in developing novel treatment options, HCC still remains one of the major causes of cancer morbidity and mortality around the world. Achieving effective treatment and eradication of HCC is a challenging task, however recent studies have shown that targeting Natural Killer cells, as major regulators of immune system, can help with the complete treatment of HCC, restoration of normal liver function and subsequently higher survival rate of HCC patients.