Pain Management Issues for the Geriatric Surgical Patient

Abstract

Adequate treatment of pain is of utmost importance in making uncomplicated the perioperative course for geriatric surgical patients. Effective analgesia reduces morbidity, improves patient and family satisfaction, and is a natural expectation of high-quality care. Pain treatment in older adults is more complicated than in younger counterparts, and great consideration must be given to age-related changes in physiology and pharmacokinetics. Pain treatment must be individualized based on each patient's profile. Side effects must be minimized and organ toxicity avoided. When complications occur they may be more severe, and treatment must be prompt. Alternative plans for analgesia must be readily enacted.

Keywords: Multimodal analgesia; Opioid risks; Pain measurement in older adults; Physiology of aging; Postoperative delirium; Regional anesthesia; Respiratory depression.