Topical Concurrent Session 1E – Pain management for patients with delirium

Description

Topical Concurrent Session 1E: Pain management for patients with delirium
Chair: Professor Meera Agar, University of Technology Sydney, NSW

Delirium is an acute neurocognitive disorder of multifactorial aetiology that is characterised by disturbances in attention, awareness and cognition (APA 2013). Pain and pain management may influence the occurrence of delirium. Delirium compromises the ability to self-report pain, arising from attentional and cognitive changes that impair memory, perception and orientation; and language disturbance, such as difficulty finding words, incoherent speech and problems with writing (Agar et al. 2015). The patient’s ability to report pain may fluctuate during an episode of delirium, necessitating an adaption of pain assessment strategies.

In this session, we will provide an overview on how pain and pain management may influence the development of delirium. Results from a scoping review on strategies for pain assessment and the use of standardised instruments in patients with delirium will be presented. Additionally, insights from qualitative interviews on strategies and cues used by clinicians to disentangle presentations of pain and delirium will be discussed. Implementation challenges with regards to translating findings from the research will be considered and suggestions concerning how staff can optimise educational approaches to improve pain management and delirium care will be outlined. Throughout the session, gaps in evidence will be highlighted and implications for future research discussed.

Speakers:
Professor Meera Agar, University of Technology Sydney, NSW
Professor Thomas Fischer, Evangelische Hochschule Dresden, Germany
Dr Annmarie Hosie, University of Technology Sydney, NSW
A/Professor Andrew Teodorczuk, Griffith University, QLD