Document 0646
 DOCN  M94A0646
 TI    Pain in patients with advanced AIDS.
 DT    9412
 AU    Glare P; Palliative Care Service, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital,;
       Camperdown, NSW.
 SO    Annu Conf Australas Soc HIV Med. 1993 Oct 28-30;5:60 (abstract no.
       SPa2). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ASHM5/94349009
 AB    There has been little systematic evaluation of pain or its treatment in
       patients with HIV/AIDS. The charts of all HIV admissions to the
       palliative care ward at Eversleigh Hospital, Petersham were reviewed for
       pain and analgesic use. There were 104 admissions of 68 patients. 65
       (96%) were males. 63 (93%) had stage IV disease. 33% died. Pain was the
       presenting complaint in 75% and a top 3 symptom in 53%. Pain was a
       difficult management problem in 25 (37%) patients, due to peripheral
       neuropathy (9), abdominal pain (8), headache (2), total body pain (2),
       cancer pain (2), anal pain (1), odynophagia (1). Strong opioid
       analgesics were used in 70%, (used pre-admission in 50%). The median
       oral morphine dose was 120 mg/day (range 6-1900 mg). 85% of dying
       patients required subcutaneous morphine injections. Coanalgesics were
       used in 45% [paracetamol 35, anti-convulsants 14, antidepressants 10,
       steroids 7, capsaicin 4, non-steroidals 4]. Pain in AIDS is an
       underestimated problem worthy of much more research attention.
 DE    Analgesics/*THERAPEUTIC USE  Analgesics, Addictive/THERAPEUTIC USE  Drug
       Therapy, Combination  Human  HIV Infections/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY  New South
       Wales  Pain/*DRUG THERAPY/ETIOLOGY  *Palliative Treatment  Terminal Care
       MEETING ABSTRACT

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