title: Pain among hospitalized older people with heart failure and their preparation to manage this symptom on discharge: a descriptive-observational study.
abstract: Globally, heart failure (HF) is one of the major health issues faced by many older people. It causes significant symptom burden that requires ongoing management. This paper reports on a descriptive-observational study undertaken to: (1) describe the prevalence of pain and analgesic prescription usage in hospitalized older HF patients; (2) determine the degree to which these patients are provided with a pain self-management strategy prior to discharge; and (3) determine if the patients' pain self-management strategy has been detailed in the discharge summary. A total of 122 older HF patients were included in this study. Results indicated that moderate to severe pain (Numeric Rating Scale score ≥4) is experienced by a substantial number of older people hospitalized with HF. There is little documented evidence that older people are provided with adequate analgesic prescriptions and the instructions required to effectively manage their pain on discharge to the community.
authors.affiliation: a The University of Notre Dame Australia , Sydney , Australia.
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhattarai
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Health , University of Technology Sydney , Sydney , Australia.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.affiliation: c Centre for Cardiovascular and Chronic Care , University of Technology Sydney , Sydney , Australia.
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics
keywords: analgesics; heart failure; pain; patient discharge; self-care