Sandy Muchka

Among the knowledge required by healthcare professionals to manage pain is an understanding of the differences between opioid agents and formulations. As the list of new opioid formulations continues to grow, it is increasingly important that clinicians understand the basic pharmacology of these analgesics and how to calculate equianalgesic doses. Administering an equianalgesic dose increases the likelihood that the transition to another opioid or route will be tolerated without loss of pain control or excessive side effects. Although calculation of equianalgesic doses requires relatively simple mathematical skills, few clinicians are prepared to compute them. The purpose of this article is to provide a basic review of the pharmacology of opioids, explain how to calculate an equianalgesic dose, and briefly describe some of the current controversies of the relative potencies of opioids listed in equianalgesic tables.

The purpose of the study was to describe nurses' perceptions regarding the assessment and treatment of pain in patients with late-stage dementia. Thirty nurses from six long-term care facilities were interviewed using a semistructured format for this qualitative study. Initial results were presented to a second group for validation and refinement of findings. The most commonly cited behaviors used to indicate discomfort were facial grimacing, restless body movement, change in behavior, moaning, and tense muscles. Psychotropic drugs were perceived to be commonly misused because behavior changes were seen as a psychiatric problem rather than a representation of the patient's unmet need. Nurses had positive feelings about using both narcotics and nonnarcotic analgesics with this population but believed both types of analgesics were underused. The most common concerns regarding the administration of narcotic analgesics to this population were falls, sedation, and constipation.