ABSTRACT
Proper use of analgesics can manage patients’ postoperative pain and minimize adverse outcome related to surgery. The elderly are more susceptible to the adverse effects caused by analgesics. The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative pain management in elderly patients by assessing the use of analgesics and the management of adverse effects with regard to analgesic use. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, in which data were collected from patients’ medical record retrospectively. A total of 72 elderly patients were identified in this study. The patients’ mean (±SD) age was 71.9 ± 2.3 years, with the mean pain score on day 1 after surgery being 4.3 (mild pain). On day 1 after surgery, only 32 patients (44.4%) were treated with analgesics according to their pain intensity. Only one-fourth of patients (19.0%) received an optimal adverse effect management during the observation period. The management of postoperative pain and the adverse effects of analgesics in elderly patients found in this study still requires improvement.
