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Risk Factors for Inadequate Pain Management in Elderly Patient

Purpose: To identify a frail elderly patient living in the community who may be at risk for inadequate pain management.

Description

An elderly patient living in the community may have pain that is not adequately controlled. Landi et al identified risk factors impacting pain management for these patients. The authors are from Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome, the New Jersey Medical School, Hackensack University and the Silver Network Home Care Study Group.


Patient selection: frail elderly patient living in the community

 

The authors found that pain was common in this population. In addition, a patient known to have pain might not be receiving any therapy to reduce it.

 

Risk factors for inadequate pain management:

(1) 85 years of age or older

(2) low cognitive performance

(3) absence of an explicit terminal illness

 

Additional factors that may contribute:

(1) social isolation

(2) impaired ability to communicate

(3) concerns about possible complications of long-term analgesic therapy


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Specialty

Objective

ICD-10