title: Opiates and elderly: use and side effects.
abstract: The evaluation of pain and the subsequent issue of pain control is a clinical challenge that all healthcare providers face. Pain in the elderly population is especially difficult given the myriad of physiological, pharmacological, and psychological aspects of caring for the geriatric patient. Opiates are the mainstay of pain treatment throughout all age groups but special attention must be paid to the efficacy and side effects of these powerful drugs when prescribing to a population with impaired metabolism, excretion and physical reserve. In a random chart review of 300 US veterans, 44% of those receiving an analgesic also received opioids. The increasing use of opiates for pain management by healthcare practitioners requires that those prescribing opioids be aware of the special considerations for treating the elderly. This article will address the precautions one must take when using opiates in the geriatric population, as well as the side effects and ways to minimize them.
authors.affiliation: University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA diane.chau@va.gov
authors.forename: Diane L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Latha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Lwin M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D050216:Metabolic Detoxication, Phase I / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid