Document 0627
 DOCN  M9460627
 TI    Inadequate treatment of pain in ambulatory HIV patients.
 DT    9404
 AU    McCormack JP; Li R; Zarowny D; Singer J; Faculty of Pharmaceutical
       Sciences, Department of Pharmacy,; University of British Columbia,
       Vancouver, Canada.
 SO    Clin J Pain. 1993 Dec;9(4):279-83. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94162761
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of pain, how pain affects
       patients' lives, what treatments are being used, and the effectiveness
       of these pain treatments in ambulatory patients with human
       immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. DESIGN: A self-administered pain
       survey (modified version of the Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire).
       SETTING: An ambulatory infectious disease clinic that deals mainly with
       ambulatory HIV patients. PATIENTS: Ambulatory HIV patients. OUTCOME
       MEASURES: Results of the response to the questionnaire. RESULTS:
       Eighty-two of 148 patients surveyed had pain due to their disease in the
       month prior to completing the survey. Of those reporting pain, 60-70%
       reported that their pain interfered with aspects of their daily lives
       from a moderate to severe degree. In patients with pain, 40% reported
       that they were not receiving any pain treatment. Those patients who were
       receiving treatment only obtained a mean pain relief of 65%.
       CONCLUSIONS: Pain is an important problem in terms of its prevalence and
       impact on patients with HIV disease. Pain control in this patient
       population is inadequate. Clinicians should realize that pain can be
       present regardless of the duration of the disease and its severity.
       Patients need to be educated about the proper use of pain medications
       and helped to understand that pain medications will not worsen their
       disease.
 DE    Activities of Daily Living  Adult  *Ambulatory Care
       Analgesics/THERAPEUTIC USE  Human  HIV
       Infections/*COMPLICATIONS/PSYCHOLOGY  Pain/ETIOLOGY/PSYCHOLOGY/*THERAPY
       Quality of Life  Questionnaires  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).