Balancing pain and analgesic treatment in the home-dwelling elderly.
BACKGROUND
In elderly persons, pain is a common problem, and analgesic medicines are among the most frequently used drugs.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the use of analgesic medication and its relation to daily pain and morbidity in home-dwelling elderly people aged at least 75 years.


METHODS
A random sample of 700 subjects aged at least 75 years was drawn from the total population of Kuopio, Finland. A geriatrician and nurse carried out structured clinical examinations and interviews with 601 persons, 523 of whom were living at home.


RESULTS
Seventy percent (n = 364) of the elderly people were taking at least one analgesic, including most of those who suffered from daily interfering pain (85%) and nearly all of those experiencing daily pain at rest (93%). Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; n = 226, 51%) and acetaminophen (n = 118, 23%) were the most commonly used analgesics. The use of opioids became more common with age, accounting for 16% of the drugs in the oldest patients (> or =85 y) and 6% among those aged 75-79 years. Analgesics were mainly taken when needed. Only 13% of NSAID users, 18% of acetaminophen users, and 21% of opioid users took these preparations regularly.


CONCLUSIONS
Although analgesics are commonly used by elderly patients, it appeared that many patients were still experiencing daily interfering pain and pain at rest.
Hartikainen
Sirpa A
SA
Division of Geriatrics, Department of Public Health and General Practice, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland. Sirpa.Hartikainen@uku.fi
Mäntyselkä
Pekka T
PT
Louhivuori-Laako
Kirsti A
KA
Sulkava
Raimo O
RO
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics
D000700:Analgesics; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000082:Acetaminophen