Inadequate pain relief in ambulatory patients with human immunodeficiency virus disease in Port Harcourt

Abstract

ObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of pain in ambulatory patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Port Harcourt and to determine the type, site, severity, and adequacy of the treatment of pain in these patients.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out at two antiretroviral therapy centers in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A data sheet, the brief pain inventory, and the short form of the McGill pain questionnaire were used and 157 patients in various stages of HIV/AIDS participated in the study.ResultsAbout 83.7% (129/157) of the ambulatory patients with HIV/AIDS complained of pains. Of the patients who reported pain 61.24% (79/129) reported nociceptive pain while 38.76% (50/129) reported neuropathic pain. Chest pain was the most frequent site of pain followed by headache. About 82% (106/129) of those who complained of pain received some form of analgesic, but only 23.58% (25/106) of these obtained adequate pain relief. The majority of the participants had significant impairment of their quality of life due to the severity of their pain.ConclusionPain associated with significant impairment of quality of life is common in ambulatory patients with HIV/AIDS in Port Harcourt. Whereas the majority of the patients used various pain relief methods, analgesia was inadequate.

Chronic Pain in People with HIV: A Common Comorbidity and Threat to Quality of Life

“…The importance of such mechanistic research is underscored by inadequate efforts to treat chronic pain in HIV. Two studies based in the Majority World reported that only 24% (Nigeria) and 18% (Thailand) of PWH and chronic pain were receiving adequate pain therapy [ 18 , 19 ]. Three US-based studies asked people taking analgesic therapies to estimate the amount of pain relief their therapies achieved, and reported relief scores in the range of 50–65% [ 20–22 ].…”

High prevalence of pain among adult HIV-infected patients at University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

“… 13 , 18 , 25 On the other hand, the magnitude of pain was lower compared with results of studies conducted in the USA (54%–83%), Nigeria (83.7%), San Francisco (91.2%), South Africa (74.24%) and the UK (62.8%). 7 , 10 , 11 , 16 , 21 This could be due to the different instrument used for data collection, variation in data collection period and different study designs. Additionally, it might be attributed to variation in pain perception from individual to individual.…”

“… 10 In Nigeria, pain was reported in 83.7% of patients and in patients with pain impacted patients’ functioning, including general activity (86.7%), mood (89.9%), sleep pattern (73.4%) and work activities (83%). 11 Other studies have shown that pain results in sleep disturbance and functional limitations. 12 Using a standardized pain assessment, patients in Uganda reported pain as mild (53%), moderate (20%) and severe (27%).…”

Dor neuropática em pacientes com HIV/AIDS em uso de terapia antirretroviral

“…Embora 82% dos pacientes utilizassem medicamentos para essa condição dolorosa, somente 23,58% obtinham alívio da dor. No entanto, nesse estudo, não foi descrito o uso da TARV 22 .…”

“…A maioria dos pacientes com HIV sentem dor e usam vários métodos para aliviá-la, mas com analgesia inadequada 63 . A dor neuropática é fortemente influenciada por desordens psiquiátricas 64 .…”