Encyclopedia of Pain

2013 Edition
| Editors: Gerald F. Gebhart, Robert F. Schmidt

Pain in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28753-4_3093
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Synonyms

 AIDS and pain;  HIV and pain;  HIV-associated neuropathy;  Neuropathy due to HAART;  Zidovudine (AZT)-induced headache

Definition

Neuropathic and nociceptive pain is a common result of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and its treatment. Despite the fact that pain is associated with psychological and functional morbidity, it remains undertreated in patients with HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Breitbart et al. 1996). Both patient and provider barriers contribute to this situation.

Etiologies of Pain

As with cancer, pain in HIV/AIDS may be related to the disease itself, therapy, or diagnostic procedures related to the disease, or may be independent of the disease or disease-related interventions. Also, like cancer, the severity, distribution, and effect on quality of life all increase as the disease progresses (Singer et al. 1999). HIV infection is a progressive illness that results in severe immunodeficiency (declining CD4+ T-lymphocyte count),...
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUSA