Intervention of complementary therapies for pain relief in the elderly: a literature integrative review study

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. 1791
Author(s):  
Raffaelly Ferreira Tuzze Devolder ◽  
Fátima Helena Do Espírito Santo

ABSTRACTObjective: to identify the scientific production in the field of nursing of nonpharmacological pain relief for the elderly through studies presented in the scientific literature. Method: this paper is a literature search performed in the Virtual Health Library (BVS), Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences (LILACS) and Database of Nursing (BDENF) during the last ten years. Results: we find that those complementary therapies can serve as excellent adjuvants to drug therapy and, in some cases, the non-pharmalogical way can even replace the regular drug therapy; making pain management more sensible and humane, contributing to improve the quality of life of elderly patients. Associated with conventional treatment, those complementary therapies can help improve the care of elderly patients, providing a healthy and comfortable way of dealing with everyday situations of pain experienced by them. Conclusion: the analysis of scientific literature shows that non-pharmacological interventions can help drug therapy for pain relief. Descriptors: pain; nursing care; complementary therapies; health of the elderly.RESUMOObjetivo: identificar produções científicas de enfermagem referente à intervenções não farmacológicas para alivio da dor em idosos através de estudos apresentadas na literatura cientifica. Método: trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica realizada na Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS) e Base de Dados de Enfermagem (BDENF), nos últimos dez anos. Resultados: constatamos que as terapias complementares podem atuar como excelente co-adjuvante à terapia medicamentosa e, em algumas situações, até substituí-la, tornando a abordagem da dor mais sensível e humanizada, contribuindo para a melhoria da qualidade de vida do paciente idoso. Associadas ao tratamento convencional, as terapias complementares podem contribuir para a melhora no cuidado do paciente idoso, proporcionando a esse uma forma sadia e confortável de lidar com as situações rotineiras de dor vivenciadas pelos idosos. Conclusão: a análise da produção científica apontam que intervenções não farmacológicas podem ajudar a terapia medicamentosa para o alívio da dor. Descritores: dor; cuidados de enfermagem; terapias alternativas; saúde do idoso.RESUMENObjetivo: analizar la producción científica de la enfermería relacionada a las intervenciones no farmacológicas para aliviar el dolor en los ancianos a través de estudios presentados en la literatura científica. Método: este trabajo es una búsqueda bibliográfica realizada en la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud (BVS), Centro Latinoamericano y del Caribe en Ciencias de la Salud (LILACS) y Base de Datos de Enfermería (BDENF) en los últimos diez años. Resultados: constatamos que las terapias complementarias pueden servir como complemento al tratamiento farmacológico y, en algunos casos, incluso sustituirlas, y por lo que el tratamiento del dolor más sensible y humano, contribuyendo a mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes de edad avanzada. Asociadas con el tratamiento convencional, las terapias complementarias pueden ayudar a mejorar el cuidado de los pacientes mayores, siempre que una forma sana y cómoda de hacer frente a situaciones cotidianas de dolor experimentadas por las personas mayores. Conclusión: el análisis de los estudios científicos demuestran que las intervenciones no farmacológicas pueden ayudar a la terapia con medicamentos para aliviar el dolor. Descriptores: dolor; atención de enfermería; terapias complementarias; salud de los ancianos.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Nordquist ◽  
Thomas M. Halaszynski

Background. Elderly patients have unique age-related comorbidities that may lead to an increase in postoperative complications involving neurological, pulmonary, cardiac, and endocrine systems. There has been an increase in the number of elderly patients undergoing surgery as this portion of the population is increasing in numbers. Despite advances in perioperative anesthesia and analgesia along with improved delivery systems, monotherapy with opioids continues to be the mainstay for treatment of postop pain. Reliance on only opioids can oftentimes lead to inadequate pain control or increase in the incidence of adverse events. Multimodal analgesia incorporating regional anesthesia is a promising alternative that may reduce needs for high doses and dependence on opioids along with any potential associated adverse effects. Methods. The following databases were searched for relevant published trials: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and PubMed. Textbooks and meeting supplements were also utilized. The authors assessed trial quality and extracted data. Conclusions. Multimodal drug therapy and perioperative regional techniques can be very effective to perioperative pain management in the elderly. Regional anesthesia as part of multimodal perioperative treatment can often reduce postoperative neurological, pulmonary, cardiac, and endocrine complications. Regional anesthesia/analgesia has not been proven to improve long-term morbidity but does benefit immediate postoperative pain control. In addition, multimodal drug therapy utilizes a variety of nonopioid analgesic medications in order to minimize dosages and adverse effects from opioids while maximizing analgesic effect and benefit.


Ozone Therapy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Marianno Franzini ◽  
Giulia Ionita

In the context of multidisciplinary care of elderly patients, this work will want to consider the presence of osteo-articular and muscular pain, mostly chronic, of these subjects. The treatment has made use of oxygen-ozone therapy, given the absence of side effects of this minimally invasive technique, and the possibility of its use simultaneously with an already established poly-drug therapy, as typically found in the geriatric patient.


2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 1852-1860 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R Garnett

OBJECTIVE To review and evaluate the medical literature concerning antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy in elderly patients. DATA SOURCES A MEDLINE search (1982–December 2004) was conducted. Bibliographies of the articles identified were also reviewed, and an Internet search engine was used to identify additional pertinent references. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION Clinical studies and reviews were evaluated, and relevant information was included. DATA SYNTHESIS The elderly have the highest incidence of seizures among all age groups. Complex partial seizures are the most common, followed by primary generalized tonic–clonic seizures. An accurate diagnosis may prove difficult because of a low suspicion of epilepsy in the elderly and other diseases that may mimic seizures. Most AEDs are approved for treatment of elderly patients who have partial and tonic–clonic seizures. However, a number of age-related variables should be addressed when selecting an appropriate AED. Age-dependent differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of AEDs must be taken into account. Drug–drug interactions must be considered since elderly people often take multiple medications. The ultimate factor that often determines AED selection is tolerability. CONCLUSIONS Numerous factors must be considered in treating elderly patients for seizures, but maximizing the ability of patients to tolerate drug therapy is often the basis for AED selection. Special consideration should be made along several lines, including elderly patients’ cognitive functioning and their tendency to respond to lower AED concentrations.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Manceau ◽  
Antoine Brouquet ◽  
Pascal Chaibi ◽  
Guillaume Passot ◽  
Olivier Bouché ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Several multicenter randomized controlled trials comparing laparoscopy and conventional open surgery for colon cancer have demonstrated that laparoscopic approach achieved the same oncological results while improving significantly early postoperative outcomes. These trials included few elderly patients, with a median age not exceeding 71 years. However, colon cancer is a disease of the elderly. More than 65% of patients operated on for colon cancer belong to this age group, and this proportion may become more pronounced in the coming years. In current practice, laparoscopy is underused in this population. Methods The CELL (Colectomy for cancer in the Elderly by Laparoscopy or Laparotomy) trial is a multicenter, open-label randomized, 2-arm phase III superiority trial. Patients aged 75 years or older with uncomplicated colonic adenocarcinoma or endoscopically unresectable colonic polyp will be randomized to either colectomy by laparoscopy or laparotomy. The primary endpoint of the study is overall postoperative morbidity, defined as any complication classification occurring up to 30 days after surgery. The secondary endpoints are: 30-day and 90-day postoperative mortality, 30-day readmission rate, quality of surgical resection, health-related quality of life and evolution of geriatric assessment. A 35 to 20% overall postoperative morbidity rate reduction is expected for patients operated on by laparoscopy compared with those who underwent surgery by laparotomy. With a two-sided α risk of 5% and a power of 80% (β = 0.20), 276 patients will be required in total. Discussion To date, no dedicated randomized controlled trial has been conducted to evaluate morbidity after colon cancer surgery by laparoscopy or laparotomy in the elderly and the benefits of laparoscopy is still debated in this context. Thus, a prospective multicenter randomized trial evaluating postoperative outcomes specifically in elderly patients operated on for colon cancer by laparoscopy or laparotomy with curative intent is warranted. If significant, such a study might change the current surgical practices and allow a significant improvement in the surgical management of this population, which will be the vast majority of patients treated for colon cancer in the coming years. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03033719 (January 27, 2017).


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Schwittay ◽  
Melanie Sohns ◽  
Birgit Heckes ◽  
Christian Elling

Background. Tapentadol prolonged release (PR) has been shown effective and generally well tolerated in a broad range of chronic pain conditions. This subgroup analysis investigated its benefits for elderly patients with severe chronic osteoarthritis (OA) pain in routine clinical practice. Patients and Methods. Data of all patients with chronic OA pain were extracted from the database of a prospective, 3-month noninterventional tapentadol PR trial. The data of elderly OA patients (>65 years of age; n = 752) were compared with the data of younger OA patients (≤65 years; n = 282). Results. Almost all patients (elderly 98.7% and younger patients 99.3%) had received long-term analgesic medication prior to the start of tapentadol PR treatment but presented with severe pain accompanied by considerable impairments in sleep quality and quality of life measures. Tapentadol PR provided effective pain relief in both patient groups, with slightly better outcomes in younger patients. However, the mean baseline pain intensity of 7.1 (SD 1.5) was reduced by 3.8 points (p≤0.001), and sleep and quality of life measures had also markedly improved in the elderly: quality of sleep by 3 points, quality of life by 3.4 points, social activities by 3 points, and independence by 2.7 points (p≤0.001 for all measures; 11-point scale). At the end of observation, 68% of the elderly had clinically relevant pain reductions of at least 50% (vs baseline), and 87.9% attained either their intended pain reduction target and/or an additional individual treatment target (both predefined during baseline examination). Only 8.4% of the elderly experienced adverse drug reactions, most frequently nausea (2.7% of patients) and dizziness (1.5%). Conclusion. Tapentadol PR provided effective and well-tolerated treatment of severe chronic OA pain for elderly patients in routine clinical practice. The favorable tolerability profile in particular suggests tapentadol PR as a treatment option before classical strong opioids are considered.


2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Bullock ◽  
S. Libretto

SummaryRisperidone is one of the newer atypical antipsychotic agents, which combines potent serotonin and dopamine receptor antagonism. It shows efficacy against the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenic psychoses and other psychotic conditions, and has a low propensity to cause extrapyramidal side effects. The aim of these case reports in elderly patients is to provide the benefit of personal experience with risperidone to the body of published literature and to demonstrate the types of patients that may benefit from treatment. These cases were compiled retrospectively from data collected on referral and during routine hospital appointments. This series covers four main areas of concern when treating the elderly: low-maintenance dosing minimising the likelihood of adverse events; successful treatment of patients previously uncontrolled and experiencing side effects with other antipsychotics; the possibility of intermittent rather than continuous treatment; and the benefits to patients, carers and the health services. At low doses, risperidone is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for psychoses in elderly patients that improves the quality of life for both patients and their caregivers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renzo Rozzini

Over the years Geriatrics and gerontology have developed a language shared by most clinicians and researchers who unequivocally defines the health conditions of aging people: one could speak of "geriatric canon", i.e. the set of fundamentals (paradigms, principles, standard reference vocabulary) of geriatric knowledge, the heritage from which they draw inspiration and from which the actions for the care of the elderly can be driven, the scientific works for the study of their health. The aim of this paper is to describe and report the most important terms of the geriatric canon, in a simplified way, in order to establish a more precise use of geriatric terminology that can be easily utilized by the cardiologists, or other specialists who takes care of elderly patients, without depriving them of their clinical significance, and becoming heritage of ordinary medical language.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matej Stuhec ◽  
Nika Bratović ◽  
Aleš Mrhar

AbstractMental health problems (MHPs) are very common in the elderly and can have an important influence on their quality of life (QoL). There is almost no data on the impact of clinical pharmacists’ (CPs) interventions on the QoL including elderly patients and MHPs. The main aim of this study was to determinate the impact of (CP’s) interventions on the QoL and quality of pharmacotherapy. A prospective non-randomized pre-post study was designed which included residents of a nursing home aged 65 age or more with at least one MHP. Each patient also filled out the EQ-5D questionnaire. The medical review MR included drug-related problems (DRPs) and potentially drug-drug interactions (pDDIs), as well as potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). After 2 months, the participants were interviewed again. The mean number of medications before the intervention was 12,2 ± 3,1 per patient and decreased to 10,3 ± 3,0 medications per patient (p < 0,05) (n = 24). The total number of PIMs and pDDIs was also reduced and QoL was also significantly higher (p < 0,05). A collaborative care approach with a CP led to a decrease of DRPs, pDDIs, PIMs, the total number of medications and to an improvement in the patients’ QoL.


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