[Assessment of pain in elderly hospitalised patients. A transversal descriptive survey].
BACKGROUND
The assessment and treatment of pain in elderly hospitalised patients are essential elements for the management of these patients. Within the context of a policy aimed at fighting against pain, a transversal survey was conducted at the university hospital centre in Bordeaux to enhance knowledge on pain, its impact and the difficulties in its assessment in these elderly patients.


OBJECTIVE
Analyse the data of this survey concerning patients aged 65 and over, hospitalised in various departments of medicine and in the Geriatric centre.


METHODS
In this "on a given day" transversal survey, 221 patients underwent self-assessment of their pain using a questionnaire and the numerical scale. 365 patients with cognitive or phasic disorders were assessed using a behavioural scale (Doloplus). The prevalence of pain was calculated in the various departments. The type of pain, its impact, its acknowledgment by the nurses and the physicians and the treatments were described.


RESULTS
The prevalence of pain was of 47.5% in the patients who underwent self-assessment. In the patients who underwent a hetero-assessment, it was of 63.6% in Medicine and 20% in the Geriatric centre. Acute pain predominated in medicine (49%) and chronic pain in the Geriatric centre (52%). The impact of pain on morale was moderate or severe in 60% of patients, and on sleep in 51%. The simultaneous agreement of the nurses and physicians on the pain felt by the patients was of 32% in Medicine and 44.5% in the Geriatric centre.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a problem in the acknowledgment of pain in elderly patients. This is related to the systematic non-use of assessment tools and the overlooking of rules for the use of analgesics, particularly in the treatment of chronic pain.
Rainfray
Muriel
M
Centre de gériatrie Henri Choussat, Hôpital Xavier Arnozan, Groupe hospitalier Sud Pessac (33). muriel.rainfray@chu-bordeaux.fr
Brochet
Bruno
B
de Sarasqueta
Anne-Marie
AM
Michel
Philippe
P
D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005602:France; D006306:Health Surveys; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires