Rheumatic diseases in the elderly: assessing chronic pain.
This article discusses the assessment of chronic pain in older patients. First, the epidemiology and impact of chronic pain in the elderly are addressed. Next, common barriers to pain assessment are reviewed. An effective approach to pain assessment in the older patient is described, including the important pearls of history-taking and the physical examination, as well as recommendations for the evaluation of functional status and psychosocial well-being. The article concludes with a review of multidimensional and unidimensional pain assessment tools, and a discussion of methods for pain assessment in the cognitively impaired.
Charette
Susan L
SL
Division of Geriatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, 10945 Le Conte Avenue, Suite 2339, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. SCharette@mednet.ucla.edu
Ferrell
Bruce A
BA
D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010808:Physical Examination; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000150:complications*