Principles & Practice of Pain Medicine > Part V. Pain Syndromes > C. Pain in the Terminally Ill > Chapter 48. Pain in HIV and AIDS Matthew Lefkowitz

Importance of Pain in HIV Disease

"In the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy, HIV-infected patients live longer and healthier lives, which makes relief of pain associated with the complications of HIV infection an important factor in improving the quality of life. Relief of acute pain is important not only because pain relief affects the quality of life of caregivers as well as the individual suffering pain, but also because unrelieved pain can become chronic pain, which is much more difficult to manage because a vicious cycle that sustains pain develops.^1,2..."