Acute pain management in older adults in the emergency department.
Clin Geriatr Med. 2013 Feb;29(1):151-64
Authors: Hwang U, Platts-Mills TF
Abstract
Effective treatment of acute pain in older patients is a common challenge faced by emergency providers. Because older adults are at increased risk for adverse events associated with systemic analgesics, pain treatment must proceed cautiously. Essential elements to quality acute pain care include an early initial assessment for the presence of pain, selection of an analgesic based on patient-specific risks and preferences, and frequent reassessments and retreatments as needed. This article describes current knowledge regarding the assessment and treatment of acute pain in older adults.
PMID: 23177605 [PubMed - in process]