Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Pain with a Focus Directed at the Geriatric Patient

Baricitinib in severe and refractory peripheral ulcerative keratitis: a case report and literature review

Ocular disease, such as scleritis and peripheral ulcerative keratitis (PUK), may be a serious ocular complication. We present a patient with severe and refractory PUK treated with baricitinib. A review of the literature on Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKINIB) in refractory ocular surface pathology was also performed. For the literature review, the search in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library was carried out from inception until 31 May 2021, including conference proceedings from four major rheumatology congresses. All original research articles studying JAKINIB treatment in patients with inflammatory eye disease were included. We present an 85-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and secondary Sjögren's syndrome refractory to methotrexate, leflunomide, certolizumab pegol, adalimumab, and tocilizumab (TCZ). However, 10 months after starting TCZ, the patient suffered a perforation secondary to PUK, requiring urgent surgical intervention. In the absence of infection, she was treated with boluses of intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral prednisone at high doses in a decreasing pattern together with baricitinib at a dose of 2 mg/day with a very rapid and persistent favorable response to eye and joint symptoms. After 18 months of treatment, the patient had not presented serious side effects or signs of reactivation of her disease. In addition to this report, three other studies including one PUK associated with RA and two non-infectious scleritis treated with tofacitinib were included in this literature review. All three patients had experienced an insufficient response to conventional treatment, including biologic agents, before being switched to JAKINIB, leading to a complete or partial recovery in all of them without significant adverse effects so far. JAKINIBs (baricitinib and tofacitinib) may be an effective and safe therapy in patients with severe autoimmune and refractory ocular surface pathology, such as scleritis and PUK.

Pharmacotherapy for Spine-Related Pain in Older Adults

As the population ages, spine-related pain is increasingly common in older adults. While medications play an important role in pain management, their use has limitations in geriatric patients due to reduced liver and renal function, comorbid medical problems, and polypharmacy. This review will assess the evidence basis for medications used for spine-related pain in older adults, with a focus on drug metabolism and adverse drug reactions. A PubMed/OVID search crossing common spine, neck, and back pain terms with key words for older adults and geriatrics was combined with common drug classes and common drug names and limited to clinical trials and age over 65 years. The results were then reviewed with identification of commonly used drugs and drug categories: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, corticosteroids, gabapentin and pregabalin, antispastic and antispasmodic muscle relaxants, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tramadol, and opioids. Collectively, 138 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials were the focus of the review. The review found a variable contribution of high-quality studies examining the efficacy of medications for spine pain primarily in the geriatric population. There was strong evidence for NSAID use with adjustments for gastrointestinal and renal risk factors. Gabapentin and pregabalin had mixed evidence for neuropathic pain. SNRIs had good evidence for neuropathic pain and a more favorable safety profile than TCAs. Tramadol had some evidence in older patients, but more so in persons aged < 65 years. Rational therapeutic choices based on geriatric spine pain diagnosis are helpful, such as NSAIDs and acetaminophen for arthritic and myofascial-based pain, gabapentinoids or duloxetine for neuropathic and radicular pain, antispastic agents for myofascial-based pain, and combination therapy for mixed etiologies. Tramadol can be well tolerated in older patients, but has risks of cognitive and classic opioid side effects. Otherwise, opioids are typically avoided in the treatment of spine-related pain in older adults due to their morbidity and mortality risk and are reserved for refractory severe pain. Whenever possible, beneficial geriatric spine pain pharmacotherapy should employ the lowest therapeutic doses with consideration of polypharmacy, potentially decreased renal and hepatic metabolism, and co-morbid medical disorders.

Pharmacokinetics of 2 oral paracetamol formulations in hospitalized octogenarians

AIMS

It is currently unclear how paracetamol should be dosed in order to increase its efficacy while warranting safety in very old adults. The objective was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of 2 oral paracetamol formulations and its metabolites in hospitalized octogenarians.

METHODS

Geriatric inpatients aged 80 years and older received a 1000-mg paracetamol tablet or granulate at 08.00, 14.00 and 20.00. After at least 4 consecutive gifts, plasma samples were collected around the 08.00 dose (trough, +0.5, +1, +2, +4, +5 and +6 h). Plasma concentrations of paracetamol and its metabolites were determined and individual pharmacokinetic parameters were derived. The Edmonton Frail Scale was used to assess frailty. An analgesic plasma target was defined as an average plasma concentration (C_avg ) of 10 mg/L.

RESULTS

The mean (±standard deviation) age was 86.78 (±4.20) years. The majority (n = 26/36, 72%) received the tablet, 10 (28%) the granulate. Thirty patients (85%) were classified with moderate to severe frailty. Seven (21%) patients had a C_avg above 10 mg/L. The median [interquartile range] time to reach the peak concentration was 50.5 [31.50-92.50] and 42.50 [33.75-106.75] min for the tablet and granulate, respectively. The coefficient of variation was 95% for time to reach the peak concentration and 30% for C_avg of paracetamol. A correlation of C_avg of paracetamol was observed with female sex and total serum bilirubin.

CONCLUSION

Large interindividual differences were found for pharmacokinetic parameters of oral paracetamol in frail inpatients after multiple dosing. Female sex and higher total serum bilirubin concentrations were associated with paracetamol exposure. No significant differences were observed between the tablet and granulate.

Association of depressive symptoms and risk of knee pain: the moderating effect of sex

Background

Depression has been shown in some studies to be associated with knee pain. Females were widely recognized as more vulnerable to depression and knee pain than males. However, the role of sex in this correlation was under-researched. This study aimed to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and subsequent knee pain, as well as whether and how sex would moderate this association based on a four-wave (Wave 1 in 2010–2011, Wave 2 in 2013, Wave 3 in 2015, and Wave 4 in 2018) longitudinal study among middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.

Methods

Seventeen thousand seven hundred eight participants were recruited and followed in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Ten thousand four hundred fifty-one entered the final analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Knee pain was assessed by self-report. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the validated 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CESD-10). Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after controlling potential confounders to examine the association between depressive symptoms and subsequent incident and persistent knee pain. Non-linear association of depressive symptoms score (CESD-10) and risk of knee pain was also investigated via applying 3-knotted restricted cubic spline regression. An interaction term of depressive symptoms status and sex was added to investigate the moderating effect of sex on the relationship between depressive symptoms status and the risk of knee pain.

Results

The median follow-up time was seven years for all the outcomes. Participants with depressive symptoms were 1.45 times (95% CI: 1.34–1.56) and 2.16 times (95% CI: 1.85–2.52) more likely to develop the incident and persistent knee pain after multivariable were adjusted, compared with those without depressive symptoms. There was a non-linear association between CESD-10 score and risk of knee pain. Compared with females, males had an enhanced correlation between depressive symptoms status and knee pain (multivariable-adjusted HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05–1.42 and HR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.14–2.17 for the incident and persistent knee pain, respectively).

Conclusion

Depressive symptoms are independently associated with an excess risk of knee pain, with a stronger correlation for males than females among middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-021-04511-2.

This study investigated the incidence of knee pain, the correlation of depressive symptoms with knee pain, and the moderating effect of sex on this correlation in a nationally representative cohort of middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. Results suggested that depressive symptoms were associated with an excess risk of knee pain, with a stronger correlation for males than females.

Ethnic differences in the prevalence, socioeconomic and health related risk factors of knee pain and osteoarthritis symptoms in older Malaysians

Knee pain is often underreported, underestimated and undertreated. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence, burden and further identify socioeconomic factors influencing ethnic differences in knee pain and symptoms of OA among older adults aged 55 years and over in Greater Kuala Lumpur (the capital city of Malaysia). The sample for the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) was selected using stratified random sampling, by age and ethnicity from the electoral rolls of three parliamentary constituencies. Information on knee pain was available in 1226 participants, mean age (SD) 68.96 (1.57) years (409 Malay, 416 Chinese, 401 Indian). The crude and weighted prevalence of knee pain and self-reported knee OA symptoms were 33.3% and 30.8% respectively. There were significant ethnic differences in knee pain (crude prevalence: Malays 44.6%, Chinese 23.5% and Indians 31.9%, p<0.001). The presence of two or more non-communicable diseases (NCD) attenuated the increased risk of knee pain among the ethnic Indians compared to the ethnic Chinese. The prevalence of knee pain remained significantly higher among the ethnic Malays after adjustment for confounders. While the prevalence of knee pain in our older population appears similar to that reported in other published studies in Asia, the higher prevalence among the ethnic Malays has not previously been reported. Further research to determine potential genetic susceptibility to knee pain among the ethnic Malays is recommended.

Non-opiate pharmacotherapy options for the management of pain in older adults

Pain is highly prevalent, costly, and disabling in later life, especially when undertreated. In this article, we aim to describe the risks and benefits of non-opioid medication options for the management of pain in adults aged 65 years and older in order to provide additional options in a practitioner's tool box when designing a pain management regimen for an older adult. Non-opiate pharmacologic therapies, such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, topicals, and antidepressants have an important role in pain management of older adults. When designing a pain regimen, taking an individualized approach that considers the patient's functional status, comorbidities, and treatment goals will maximize pain management.

Review of extended-release formulations of Tramadol for the management of chronic non-cancer pain: focus on marketed formulations

Patients with chronic non-malignant pain report impairments of physical, social, and psychological well-being. The goal of pain management should include reducing pain and improving quality of life. Patients with chronic pain require medications that are able to provide adequate pain relief, have minimum dosing intervals to maintain efficacy, and avoid breakthrough pain. Tramadol has proven efficacy and a favourable safety profile. The positive efficacy and safety profile has been demonstrated historically in numerous published clinical studies as well as from post-marketing experience. It is a World Health Organization “Step 2” opioid analgesic that has been shown to be effective, well-tolerated, and valuable, where treatment with strong opioids is not required. A number of extended release formulations of Tramadol are available in Canada and the United States. An optimal extended release Tramadol formulation would be expected to provide consistent pain control with once daily dosing, few sleep interruptions, flexible dosing schedules, and no limitation on taking with meals. Appropriate treatment options should be based on the above proposed attributes. A comparative review of available extended release Tramadol formulations shows that these medications are not equivalent in their pharmacokinetic profile and this may have implications for selecting the optimal therapy for patients with pain syndromes where Tramadol is an appropriate analgesic agent. Differences in pharmacokinetics amongst the formulations may also translate into varied clinical responses in patients. Selection of the appropriate formulation by the health care provider should therefore be based on the patient’s chronic pain condition, needs, and lifestyle.

Pharmacologic management of chronic pain

Chronic pain is a multifactorial condition with both physical and psychological symptoms, and it affects around 20% of the population in the developed world. In spite of outstanding advances in pain management over the past decades, chronic pain remains a significant problem. This article provides a mechanism- and evidence-based approach to improve the outcome for pharmacologic management of chronic pain. The usual approach to treat mild to moderate pain is to start with a nonopioid analgesic. If this is inadequate, and if there is an element of sleep deprivation, then it is reasonable to add an antidepressant with analgesic qualities. If there is a component of neuropathic pain or fibromyalgia, then a trial with one of the gabapentinoids is appropriate. If these steps are inadequate, then an opioid analgesic may be added. For moderate to severe pain, one would initiate an earlier trial of a long term opioid. Skeletal muscle relaxants and topicals may also be appropriate as single agents or in combination. Meanwhile, the steps of pharmacologic treatments for neuropathic pain include (1) certain antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), calcium channel α₂-δ ligands (gabapentin and pregabalin) and topical lidocaine, (2) opioid analgesics and tramadol (for first-line use in selected clinical circumstances) and (3) certain other antidepressant and antiepileptic medications (topical capsaicin, mexiletine, and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists). It is essential to have a thorough understanding about the different pain mechanisms of chronic pain and evidence-based multi-mechanistic treatment. It is also essential to increase the individualization of treatment.

Dilemmas in chronic/persistent pain management

The burden of chronic/persistent pain is substantial for the patient and society as a whole. Although a variety of pharmacologic treatments are available, chronic/persistent pain remains inadequately treated. Many pharmacologic treatment options provide analgesic efficacy for 4 to 6 hours, requiring multiple doses for continuous pain relief. The inconvenience of multiple doses may prevent many patients from achieving adequate pain relief. Other limitations to the current pharmacologic treatment options include gastrointestinal effects, cardiovascular effects, and organ toxicity, as well as fear of abuse or addiction. The purpose of this review is to highlight the burden of chronic/persistent pain in today's society and discuss the limitations of short-acting pharmacologic therapies used in the treatment of chronic/persistent pain.

Current concepts in pain management: pharmacologic options for the pediatric, geriatric, hepatic and renal failure patient

This article provides a review for current practice. Strict guidelines are not available on some topics, and they may never be drafted because pain is such a unique individual experience. It is recommended to coordinate care with other medical specialties when patients present with organ dysfunctions or are at the extremes of age. More data are required in the field of pain management, particularly with regard to renal and hepatic dysfunction. In turn, these data serve as a foundation for physicians making practice decisions based on current evidence. Until this is achieved, clinicians must rely on anecdotal evidence and the experiences of others to treat a complex issue: pain.

Dilemmas in chronic/persistent pain management

The burden of chronic/persistent pain is substantial for the patient and society as a whole. Although a variety of pharmacologic treatments are available, chronic/persistent pain remains inadequately treated. Many pharmacologic treatment options provide analgesic efficacy for 4 to 6 hours, requiring multiple doses for continuous pain relief. The inconvenience of multiple doses may prevent many patients from achieving adequate pain relief. Other limitations to the current pharmacologic treatment options include gastrointestinal effects, cardiovascular effects, and organ toxicity, as well as fear of abuse or addiction. The purpose of this review is to highlight the burden of chronic/persistent pain in today's society and discuss the limitations of short-acting pharmacologic therapies used in the treatment of chronic/persistent pain.

Elderly-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune multi-system disease of uncertain aetiology with highly variable clinical manifestations. Women of child-bearing age are most often affected; however, approximately 10-20% of cases occur in older patients. Elderly-onset lupus has been defined in various studies as onset of lupus after age 50-65 years. Menopause and changes in cellular immunity with aging may contribute to development of lupus in older adults. Many studies suggest that the clinical and serological features of elderly-onset lupus differ from those of lupus in younger patients. Arthritis, fever, serositis, sicca symptoms, Raynaud's syndrome, lung disease and neuropsychiatric symptoms are more common in patients with elderly-onset lupus, while malar rash, discoid lupus and glomerulonephritis are less common in elderly-onset patients compared with younger lupus patients. Most elderly-onset lupus patients have a positive anti-nuclear antibody test, but the prevalence of anti-double-stranded DNA and hypocomplementaemia is lower in elderly-onset patients than in younger patients. Rheumatoid factor, anti-Ro/Sjögren's syndrome (SS) A and anti-La/SSB are more often positive in elderly-onset patients. The diagnosis of elderly-onset lupus may be delayed for many months: insidious onset, low prevalence and similarity to other more common disorders make the diagnosis of lupus challenging in this population. Treatment of lupus in the elderly may be complicated by co-morbidities and increased risk of toxicities from usual treatments. Optimal management of elderly-onset lupus is empiric because of a lack of randomised controlled studies. However, the approach to treatment is similar regardless of the age of the patient. This article discusses the prevalence, clinical course, serological features, prognosis and treatment of elderly-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.