[The problem of pain in a German nursing home]

The experience of, and reaction to, pain by the inhabitants of a nursing home (n = 148) were evaluated. They were invited to score their pain status with the aid of a verbal scale, and/or the nursing staff were asked to estimate it on the basis of a numerical rating scale. The regular and as-required prescription of painkillers was also recorded. Acute attacks of pain were symptoms of sometimes life-threatening diseases, and were scored at the highest level of severity. Patients suffering from chronic pain were most often treated with opioid analgesics. Recurrent attacks of pain were preferentially treated with NSAIDs or metamizol. Pain experienced only during nursing measures or while taking exercise was treated too infrequently. When appropriately trained, the nursing staff are well prepared to establish and document the painful situation, and to rapidly identify new pain syndromes. Regular evaluation should be a standard practice of nursing care.