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Clinical pharmacology of analgesics in old age and frailty

Part of: Bespoke shallow archive Weizmann

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 November 2009

Sarah J Mitchell ,
Sarah N Hilmer  and
Andrew J McLachlan
Sarah J Mitchell
Affiliation:
Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Sarah N Hilmer*
Affiliation:
Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Andrew J McLachlan
Affiliation:
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Centre for Education and Research on Ageing (CERA), Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, NSW, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Associate Professor Sarah N Hilmer, Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Ward 11C Main Building, Royal North Shore Hospital, Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065, Australia. Email: shilmer@med.usyd.edu.au
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Summary

There is a high prevalence of pain in older people. Optimal assessment and management of pain in this population is challenging. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of analgesic medications are affected by ageing and frailty, as well as by intercurrent medical conditions and their treatments. This review describes what is currently understood about the impacts of old age and frailty on the clinical pharmacology of commonly used analgesics, to provide a rational basis for the use of these medicines. In view of the wide age-related inter-individual variability in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of analgesic medications, monitoring of clinical response and adverse effects is essential to optimize pain control in older people.

Keywords

analgesiapainageingfrailtypharmacology
Type
Clinical geriatrics
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , May 2009 , pp. 103 - 118
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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