Instruments for pain assessment in patients with advanced dementia: A systematic review of the evidence for Latin America.

Abstract

Pain treatment is an essential component of care for elderly patients with advanced dementia. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the different scales used for pain assessment in elderly persons diagnosed with dementia, in the literature available at the Latin American level. A systematic review was performed on the existing scales for pain assessment in elderly people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. 226 articles were retrieved from the PUBMED, BIREME, and Scielo databases, of which a total of 10 articles entered the systematic review. The instruments identified in these publications were PAINAD, Abbey, McGill, and PACSLAC, while the Colored Pain Scale, Faces Pain Scale, and VAS scales were used as the silver standard. In Spanish, the Abbey scale, and in Portuguese, the PACSLAC scale showed the best reliability and validity coefficients. It is concluded that there are only two appropriate scales for the assessment of pain in people with dementia in the region of interest of this study. It is recommended to generate more evidence for a more accurate assessment of pain in people with dementia.