Hydromorphone in elderly patients with polypathia and with severe pain

Abstract

AbstractThere continue to exist serious deficiencies in the analgesic therapy of elderly patients and patients with polypathia and severe pain. Orally administered controlled-release hydromorphone (see Note 1) appears to be particularly suitable for this patient group due to its pharmacological and metabolic benefits. The aim of the present prospective, multicentre study was to analyse the effects of hydromorphone therapy on quality of analgesia and potential side effects. Patients and methods. 567 elderly patients with severe, predominantly tumour-related or musculoskeletal pain were included in this study. The majority of these patients had received prior analgesic therapy. The following parameters were measured before initiating treatment with orally administered controlled-release hydromorphone and at three further assessments during the therapy: the daily dose required, intensity of pain (measured on the Numeric Rating Scale: 0 = no pain to 10 = worst pain imaginable); typical opioid-related side eff...