Frequent use of opioids in patients with dementia and nursing home residents: A study of the entire elderly population of Denmark

TY - JOUR

T1 - Frequent use of opioids in patients with dementia and nursing home residents

T2 - A study of the entire elderly population of Denmark

AU - Jensen-Dahm, Christina

AU - Gasse, Christiane

AU - Astrup, Aske

AU - Mortensen, Preben Bo

AU - Waldemar, Gunhild

N1 - Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2015/6/1

Y1 - 2015/6/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Pain is believed to be undertreated in patients with dementia; however, no larger studies have been conducted. The aim was to investigate prevalent use of opioids in elderly with and without dementia in the entire elderly population of Denmark.METHOD: A register-based cross-sectional study in the entire elderly (≥65 years) population in 2010 was conducted. Opioid use among elderly with dementia (N = 35,455) was compared with elderly without (N = 870,645), taking age, sex, comorbidity, and living status into account.RESULTS: Nursing home residents (NHRs) used opioids most frequently (41%), followed by home-living patients with dementia (27.5%) and home-living patients without dementia (16.9%). Buprenorphine and fentanyl (primarily patches) were commonly used among NHRs (18.7%) and home-living patients with dementia (10.7%) but less often by home-living patients without dementia (2.4%).CONCLUSIONS: Opioid use in the elderly Danish population was frequent but particularly in patients with dementia and NHR, which may challenge patient safety and needs further investigation.

AB - BACKGROUND: Pain is believed to be undertreated in patients with dementia; however, no larger studies have been conducted. The aim was to investigate prevalent use of opioids in elderly with and without dementia in the entire elderly population of Denmark.METHOD: A register-based cross-sectional study in the entire elderly (≥65 years) population in 2010 was conducted. Opioid use among elderly with dementia (N = 35,455) was compared with elderly without (N = 870,645), taking age, sex, comorbidity, and living status into account.RESULTS: Nursing home residents (NHRs) used opioids most frequently (41%), followed by home-living patients with dementia (27.5%) and home-living patients without dementia (16.9%). Buprenorphine and fentanyl (primarily patches) were commonly used among NHRs (18.7%) and home-living patients with dementia (10.7%) but less often by home-living patients without dementia (2.4%).CONCLUSIONS: Opioid use in the elderly Danish population was frequent but particularly in patients with dementia and NHR, which may challenge patient safety and needs further investigation.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.06.013

DO - 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.06.013

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25239738

SN - 1552-5260

VL - 11

SP - 691

EP - 699

JO - Alzheimer's & Dementia

JF - Alzheimer's & Dementia

IS - 6

ER -