Alahmadi Arwa, Altamimi Haya, Algarni Mohammed
College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, SAU.
Department of Oncology, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus. 2022 Oct 15;14(10):e30325. doi: 10.7759/cureus.30325. eCollection 2022 Oct.
Introduction Immunotherapy is considered a new modality in the treatment of cancer with emerging different toxicity profiles. It is essential for healthcare practitioners to be aware of these side effects. Emergency medicine physicians are first-line health providers and should have the required knowledge and understanding of immunotherapy-related adverse effects to be able to identify and manage such patients. The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge of immunotherapy toxicity among emergency medicine physicians in Riyadh. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at the largest emergency medicine training centers in Riyadh. In total, 106 emergency medicine physicians participated. The questionnaire contained multiple-choice questions that assessed the knowledge and management of immunotherapy-related toxicities. Results The majority of the participants were male residents. The response rate varied for the selected training centers. Regarding the level of knowledge regarding the toxic side effects of cancer immunotherapy, the majority were likely to choose "I don't know." Conclusion This study, in support of the literature, revealed the gap in knowledge of the basic principles of cancer immunotherapy, despite increasing uses and indications of immunotherapy. The findings indicate the need for non-oncologist health practitioners, including emergency physicians, to enhance their knowledge of immunotherapy-related adverse events in order to improve their clinical decision-making skills.
引言 免疫疗法被认为是癌症治疗中的一种新方法，具有不同的毒性特征。医疗从业者了解这些副作用至关重要。急诊医学医生是一线医疗服务提供者，应该具备有关免疫疗法相关不良反应的必要知识和理解，以便能够识别和管理此类患者。该研究旨在评估利雅得急诊医学医生对免疫疗法毒性的了解程度。方法 这项横断面研究在利雅得最大的急诊医学培训中心进行。共有106名急诊医学医生参与。问卷包含多项选择题，评估对免疫疗法相关毒性的知识和管理。结果 大多数参与者是男性住院医师。所选培训中心的回复率各不相同。关于癌症免疫疗法毒性副作用的知识水平，大多数人可能会选择“我不知道”。结论 这项研究支持了相关文献，揭示了尽管免疫疗法的使用和适应症不断增加，但癌症免疫疗法基本原则的知识存在差距。研究结果表明，包括急诊医生在内的非肿瘤专科医疗从业者需要加强对免疫疗法相关不良事件的了解，以提高他们的临床决策技能。
