title: [Pain assessment in terminally-ill cancer patients on admission in hospice and its modification after the first three days of care. A monocentric experience].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pain is among the most frequent and distressing symptoms in terminally-ill cancer and, to date, many patients still experience uncontrolled pain. In this paper we evaluated prevalence and intensity of pain on admission in our palliative care center and during the first three days of care.
  
  
  METHODS
  From September 2009 to October 2009 we consecutively recruited 96 terminally-ill cancer patients : on admission more than 50% had severe pain and only 4% referred to be pain-free. 54% of patients was on treatment with strong opioids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After three days from admission in our palliative care unit only 7% of patients experienced severe pain, 25% reported absence of pain and 80% of patients was on treatment with strong opioids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The beginning of palliative care led to a meaningful and rapid reduction of pain in the vast majority of terminally-ill cancer patients evaluated in this study.
authors: Unità Funzionale di Oncologia, Istituto Neurotraumatologico Italiano Grottaferrata, Roma, Italia. antoniorozzi@virgilio.it
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Rozzi
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Scirocchi
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Fava
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Bordin
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: D'Addario
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ranucci
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Lanzetta
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Di Miele
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ferraccioli
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Terzoli
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Salerno
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D006738:Hospices; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D009294:Narcotics; D000082:Acetaminophen