 |
|
 |
Some opioids are short-acting and some are
long-acting. We can use both to control moderate to severe, acute or
chronic pain when non-opioid drugs like acetaminophen and NSAIDs have
failed or are not appropriate. Like all medication, opioids can cause
varying degrees of side effects in some residents, so we carefully
tailor our choice of opioid pain control to the resident. Chosen
carefully, an opioid is likely to cause either few adverse effects or
adverse effects that we can quickly address. When an opioid is
prescribed, we monitor the resident very carefully for signs of
confusion, respiratory depression, constipation, or increased
sedation. One way we can minimize adverse effects is by starting an
opioid at a very low dose - much lower than what would be used for a
younger person - and increasing it very slowly as needed. Our "start
low, go slow" rule is particularly important for this class of
drugs.
