Basic knowledge of risks for non-opioid analgesics (NOA) in ambulatory patients

• Published in: Salud pública de México Vol. 49; no. 6; p. 429
• Main Authors: Doubova, Svetlana Vladislavovna, Mino-León, Dolores, Torres-Arreola, Laura Del Pilar, Romero-Quechol, Guillermina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Mexico 01-11-2007
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ambulatory Care; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic - adverse effects; Family Practice; Female; Gastrointestinal Diseases - chemically induced; Gastrointestinal Diseases - psychology; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pain - drug therapy; Pain - psychology; Patient Education as Topic; Patients - psychology; Socioeconomic Factors; Urban Population
• ISSN: 0036-3634

To describe patients knowledge of non-opioid analgesics (NOA) and to identify factors associated with patients lack of basic knowledge (LBN) on this type of medication.
A total of 629 ambulatory patients older than 50 years of age, with non-malignant pain syndrome, attended to two family medicine clinics and received seven day prescriptions for NOA. The data on patients general characteristics, the information they received and their actual knowledge of NOA were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis.
A total of 64.2% had LBN; 28% did not know how to take NOA properly, and 48% knew that these drugs cause gastrointestinal adverse effects. The factors significantly associated with LBN on NOA included: failure to receive information on NOA (OR:2.22, 95%CI 1.32-3.70), education <7 years (OR:1.87, 95%CI 1.33-2.63) and pain duration <4 years (OR:1.70, 95%CI 1.22-2.37).
Patients lack knowledge and receive little information on NOA. It is important to encourage actions to tackle this problem.