Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency of use of analgesics in terminal patients attended in home, and factors that may be involved in pain perception, in addition to the interventions carried out. Methods: prospective, interventional and analytical study in patients attended to Homecare Support Team (HSCT) of Barbastro. Variables studied: age, sex, number of visits, time tracking, presence of pain and other concomitant symptoms, Visual Analogic Scale (VAS), diagnosis, analgesics previous and post-intervention, previous and post-intervention average dose of analgesics. Statistical study with SPSS 15.0. Results: n = 638, men 53.9 % (n = 344), mean age 10.8 ± 79.64 years, cancer patient 56 % (n = 357), mean follow-up time 56 ± 56.56 days, 2.5 ± 2.68 mean visits per process. Pain in first visit 43.3 % (n = 276), mean VAS 6.54 ± 1.87, pain 47.1 % of men (n = 162) and 38.8 % of women (n = 114) (p < 0.05), pain in oncology 56.6 % (n = 202) and 26.3 % of non-cancer patients (n = 74) (p < 0.001). No differences between groups in VAS. Before intervention by HCST we found statistically significant differences (p < 0.005) on morphine and tramadol, and greater significance (p < 0.001) in transdermal and transmucosal fentanyl, paracetamol, metamizol and NSAIDs, all more common in uncontrolled pain. Previous mean doses of all these drugs showed no significant differences between groups, although they were higher in the group of uncontrolled pain. In these, analgesics were prescribed or modified, being statistically significant difference pre-post-intervention (p < 0.001) in transdermal and transmucosal fentanyl, tramadol, paracetamol, metamizol, NSAIDs, pregabalin and with p < 0.05 in gabapentin. Was obtained difference (p < 0.05) in mean dose only in transdermal fentanyl and codeine dose post-intervention of HCST. We obtain positive correlations between pain and anorexia, anxiety, depression and insomnia; in cancer patients between pain and anxiety and insomnia, and non-cancer patients between pain, nausea and depression. No differences between groups in previous use of benzodiazepines, antidepressants and other treatments; there was differences in depression, anxiety and insomnia. After intervention, we obtain significant differences in use of these treatments and sedation. Conclusions: after intervention of HCST there was gradual increase of all analgesic; it should conduct a full assessment of the patient's symptoms and treatment of multifactorial symptoms in addition to questioning the patient adequately about the presence of associated symptoms, given the high correlation of them.

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