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Effective pain management in terminal care
1Department of Pharmacology, University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School, USA.
Clinics in Geriatric Medicine
|May 1, 1996
Summary
Effective pharmacologic therapy can control over 90% of cancer pain using simple methods. Special attention to elderly patients
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pain Management
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Pharmacologic therapy is essential for managing pain in terminally ill cancer patients.
- Most cancer pain (over 90%) is manageable with standard analgesic routes.
- Elderly patients present unique challenges in pain management due to age-related physiological changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of pharmacologic therapy in terminally ill cancer patients.
- To emphasize the effectiveness of simple analgesic methods.
- To address the specific considerations for pain management in the elderly population.
Main Methods:
- Review of current pharmacologic approaches to cancer pain.
- Consideration of age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes.
- Awareness of drug side effects particularly relevant to older adults.
Main Results:
- Simple analgesic methods (oral, rectal, transdermal) are effective for the majority of cancer pain cases.
- More invasive procedures are rarely required.
- Age-specific factors significantly influence drug efficacy and safety in elderly cancer patients.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacologic therapy, particularly simpler methods, effectively manages most cancer pain.
- Effective pain management in the elderly necessitates understanding age-related drug alterations and side effect profiles.
- Adherence to basic principles of geriatric pharmacotherapy improves pain control and quality of life for elderly cancer patients.