Staff at the care facility note that a woman has started complaining of back pain in recent weeks and occasionally groans in pain
She has many comorbids that require several prescription medications. The nurse knows that which of the following factors is likely to complicate the clinician's assessment and treatment of the client's pain?
A)
Neural pain pathways in the elderly differ from those in younger adults and are less responsive to treatment.
B)
Assessment and treatment are possibly complicated by the large number of drugs that the client receives.
C)
Accurate pain assessment is not possible in clients with significant cognitive deficits.
D)
Frequent complaints of pain in older adults with dementia normally indicate hyperalgesia rather than an underlying physical problem.
Ans:
B
Feedback:
Polypharmacy complicates both assessment and treatment of pain in the older adult. While minor changes in pain pathways do occur as an age-related change, these do not mean that treatment is unsuccessful. Pain assessment is more difficult in clients with cognitive deficits, but it is not impossible. Reports of pain in the elderly, as with any client, may signal an underlying health problem.
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