title: Help for the hurting elderly. Safe use of drugs to relieve pain.
abstract: Pharmacologic management of pain in elderly patients is a common and difficult clinical problem. Because of altered drug metabolism and pharmacodynamics in the elderly, the drugs of choice are different than in younger patients and side effects occur more often. However, with judicious use and monitoring for toxicity, oral medications given as part of a multimodality approach can achieve adequate analgesia in most elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Kansas School of Medicine--Wichita 67214.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Egbert
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics