Background: Pain prevalence is high among elderly people, and equally prevalent in those with dementia. The aim of this study was to describe the use analgesics, as well as the cost of these treatments in old people with dementia.
Methods: We used a cross-sectional design using 1186 cases registered by the Registry of Dementias of Girona from 2007 to 2008. All drugs were categorized following the Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical classification and grouped according to the World Health Organization (WHO) analgesic ladder steps. Descriptive statistical methods were used.
Results: Analgesics were prescribed to 78.6% (95% CI, 76.2-81.0) of the registered cases. Of them, 80.6% (95% CI, 78.0-83.2) were treated following step 1 of the WHO analgesic ladder, 16.8% (95% CI, 14.4-19.3) following step 2 and 2.6% (95% CI, 1.5-3.6) following step 3. Pain treatment in old people with dementia had a cost of 42.1 € per patient and year, with no significant differences depending on the subtype of dementia.
Conclusions: The use of analgesics in our sample was not associated to age or to dementia severity, which are themselves risk factors for increased pain. Moreover, no differences were detected depending on the subtype of dementia.