[Pain in elderly patients and aspects of its therapy]. / Bolest u nemocného vyssího veku a aspekty její lécby.

Treatment of pain in elderly patients can meet with diagnostic problems, namely in those with cognitive disorders, as well as with problems concerning pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics brought about by the advanced age. Our article presents an overview on the basic differences in the diagnostics and treatment of pain, on the therapeutic risks, and on other interrelations, which have to be considered in the therapy of elderly patients. The review is supplemented with results of our examination on the rate of analgesic treatment, spectrum of analgesics in use in the population of patients older than 75 years. About one quarter of the population use analgesics regularly, the order of most frequently prescribed analgesics is: ibuprofen 38%, diclophenac 24%, tiaprophenic acid 14%, tramadol 8%, indometacine 4%. Included were also data concerning the quality of life of patients with pain and information about the relations among patients and the curing personnel where obtained by our own inquiry. Patients concluded that pain was better tolerated at home, administration of drugs in tablets revealed to be most satisfactory, all information, namely from medial doctors, were welcome. Treatment of pain improved the quality of life in 1/3 of patients; one half of them considered it as successful. Personnel also asked for better professional information, though they had good of knowledge on the evaluation and documentation of pain and the principles of pharmacological treatment. Failure of treatment evokes in 69% of the personnel the feeling of impotency, in 41% affection of unsatisfactoriness, in 20% a tension, in 13% feeling of failing, in 18% depression and frustration. Reconciled with failure is 6% of the curing personnel.

[Leukocyte growth factors in patients with neoplasms]. / Prínos leukocytárních rustových faktoru pro onkologicky nemocné.

In a group of 10 patients (six with acute lymphatic leukaemia, one patient with Ewing's sarcoma, one patient with lung cancer, one patient with a myeloma and one patient with Hodgkin's lymphogranuloma) treatment with leucocytic growth factors (Neupogen Hoffman La Roche) was started only after the onset of leukopenia. Even after this mode of administration of leucocytic growth factors septic conditions in leukopenic patients were more easily controlled and it was thus possible to complete chemotherapy with planned doses in the planned time interval. In five patients with acute lymphatic leukaemia the leucocytic growth factors participated in the achievement of remission, in patients with myeloma and lymphogranuloma they contributed to marked improvement of the general condition and reduction of the time spent in hospital.