| Abstract: |
The increased life expectancy of AIDS patients requires that effective pain management techniques be incorporated into their care for them to maintain a reasonable quality of life. There are many causes of pain in AIDS patients, including opportunistic infections, adverse effects of therapy, and other pain syndromes unrelated to the disease. Undermedication for pain in HIV/AIDS is documented in the literature, indicating underuse of opioid analgesics. The first step in remedying this problem is to develop a comprehensive measure of pain symptoms, then a multifaceted program utilizing a combination of pharmacologic, psychotherapeutic, cognitive-behavioral, anesthetic, neurosurgical, and rehabilitative approaches. Tabular data are provided to assist physicians in selecting the most appropriate analgesics, as are data on medications used to alleviate opioid side effects. Physical interventions, such as bed rest, massage, ultrasound, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, are briefly discussed. |
