September 2021 – Palliative Pearl – Acetaminophen for Agitation in Dementia
Agitation in dementia may be a result of untreated pain.
The use of scheduled acetaminophen has been demonstrated to reduce agitation significantly in nursing home populations of patients with dementia.
Try acetaminophen 650 mg three or four times a day, on a schedule, as a trial for agitated behaviors.
Feasibility of interventions and goals of care change as dementia progresses. An Advanced Care Directive should take this into account. As examples:...
When rescue efforts don’t work well, consider hospice referral for in-home congestive heart failure (CHF) management. Prognosis in heart failure is...
People with end-stage Parkinson’s disease and dementia die in predictable ways. Most often death is from complications of falling, immobility,...
