Analgesic use and pain in residents with and without dementia in aged care facilities: A cross-sectional study

Edwin Ck Tan; Renuka Visvanathan; Sarah N Hilmer; Agnes Vitry; Tina Emery; Leonie Robson; Kaisu Pitkälä; Jenni Ilomäki; J Simon Bell

doi:10.1111/ajag.12295

Analgesic use and pain in residents with and without dementia in aged care facilities: A cross-sectional study

Australas J Ageing. 2016 Sep;35(3):180-7. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12295. Epub 2016 Jun 3.

Authors

Edwin Ck Tan¹, Renuka Visvanathan^{2

3}, Sarah N Hilmer^{4

5}, Agnes Vitry⁶, Tina Emery⁷, Leonie Robson⁷, Kaisu Pitkälä⁸, Jenni Ilomäki⁹, J Simon Bell^{9

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. edwin.tan@monash.edu.
² Adelaide Geriatrics Training and Research with Aged Care (GTRAC) Centre, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
³ Aged and Extended Care Services, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, South Australia, Australia.
⁴ Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁵ NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ Sansom Institute, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
⁷ Resthaven Incorporated, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
⁸ Department of General Practice, Unit of Primary Health Care, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
⁹ Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 27256958
DOI: 10.1111/ajag.12295

Abstract

Aim: To investigate analgesic use and pain in people with and without dementia in Australian residential aged are facilities.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 383 residents of six residential aged are facilities was conducted. Nurses assessed self-reported and clinician-observed pain. Analgesic use data were extracted from medication charts. Logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with analgesic use.

Results: Analgesics were administered to 291 (76.0%) residents in the previous 24 hours. The prevalence of analgesic use was similar among residents with and without dementia (79.3% vs 73.4%, P = 0.20). Residents with dementia had a higher prevalence of self-reported pain than those without dementia but similar prevalence of clinician-observed pain. In residents with dementia, high care residence and dementia severity were associated with analgesic use.

Conclusion: The prevalence of analgesic use was similar among residents with and without dementia. Both self-reported and clinician-observed measures are needed in regular pain assessments.

Keywords: analgesic; dementia; home for the aged; opioid; pain.

Publication types

Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging / psychology
Analgesics / adverse effects
Analgesics / therapeutic use*
Chi-Square Distribution
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dementia / diagnosis
Dementia / epidemiology
Dementia / psychology
Dementia / therapy*
Female
Homes for the Aged*
Humans
Inpatients / psychology*
Logistic Models
Male
Multivariate Analysis
Nursing Homes*
Odds Ratio
Pain / diagnosis
Pain / epidemiology
Pain / prevention & control*
Pain / psychology
Pain Measurement
Prevalence
Severity of Illness Index
South Australia / epidemiology

Substances

Analgesics