Cognitive Impairment and Pain Among Nursing Home Residents With Cancer.

Dubé CE, Mack DS, Hunnicutt JN, Lapane KL.

J Pain Symptom Manage. 2018 Jun;55(6):1509-1518.

A cross-sectional study in the US looked at the variation of the documentation and management of pain in cancer patients with cognitive impairment who were newly admitted to residential homes (n=367,462). The authors found that self-reported pain was present in 55.9% with moderate cognitive impairment, and 41.8% with severe cognitive impairment, whilst 67.9% with no/mild cognitive impairment had pain documented. Staff-assessed pain, 41.1% with no/mild cognitive impairment had daily pain, whilst 32.4% with moderate cognitive impairment and 32.1% % with severe cognitive impairment had pain. Pain prevalence was lower in patients with severe cognitive impairment compared to no/mild/moderate cognitive impairment and this group received less pharmacologic treatment for their pain.

Composed by Elaine Boland.