Pain Management in Geriatric Patients

Pains belong to the most frequent reasons for a doctor's visit. In elderly people, it is the result of progressive degenerative processes (e. g., arthrosis, Osteoarthritis, degenerative spinal changes) and a higher prevalence of cancer disease to a further increase of the patients who suffer unnecessarily from pains. By the increasing polymorbidity (e.g. diabetes mellitus, vascular disease) and a declining immune competence, the prevalence of polyneuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia rises. Insufficiently treated chronic or periodically returning pain can lead to serious interferences of the physical, cognitive and social everyday competence and therefore to a limited quality of life. These facts shows the relevance of a sufficient pain therapy in geriatric patients. Nevertheless, on account of existing comorbidity, polypharmacy as well as of impaired organ function, the pharmacological pain therapy in old patients also poses a potential hazard. Although pain prevalence is higher with geriatric than with younger patients, significantly less analgesics are prescribed in the elderly population. This results from existing uncertainties at the treating doctors as well as the complicated pain capture, in particular with cognitive affected patients. The present article should indicate options of treatment for geriatric pain patients. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG. Stuttgart, New York.