Pain management at the end of life: A comparative study of cancer, dementia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Background: Limited data exist concerning the unique pain characteristics of patients with non-cancer terminal diseases referred for inpatient hospice care.

Aims: To define the unique pain characteristics of patients admitted to an acute inpatient hospice setting with end-stage dementia or chronic obstructive lung disease (or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and to compare them to patients with end-stage cancer.

Design: Retrospective patient chart review.