[Pain in elderly patients and aspects of its therapy]

Treatment of pain in elderly patients can meet with diagnostic problems, namely in those with cognitive disorders, as well as with problems concerning pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics brought about by the advanced age. Our article presents an overview on the basic differences in the diagnostics and treatment of pain, on the therapeutic risks, and on other interrelations, which have to be considered in the therapy of elderly patients. The review is supplemented with results of our examination on the rate of analgesic treatment, spectrum of analgesics in use in the population of patients older than 75 years. About one quarter of the population use analgesics regularly, the order of most frequently prescribed analgesics is: ibuprofen 38%, diclophenac 24%, tiaprophenic acid 14%, tramadol 8%, indometacine 4%. Included were also data concerning the quality of life of patients with pain and information about the relations among patients and the curing personnel where obtained by our own inquiry. Patients concluded that pain was better tolerated at home, administration of drugs in tablets revealed to be most satisfactory, all information, namely from medial doctors, were welcome. Treatment of pain improved the quality of life in 1/3 of patients; one half of them considered it as successful. Personnel also asked for better professional information, though they had good of knowledge on the evaluation and documentation of pain and the principles of pharmacological treatment. Failure of treatment evokes in 69% of the personnel the feeling of impotency, in 41% affection of unsatisfactoriness, in 20% a tension, in 13% feeling of failing, in 18% depression and frustration. Reconciled with failure is 6% of the curing personnel.