Abstract
Patients with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) experience multiple signs and symptoms that accompany the progress of HIV-related diseases. HIV-related symptoms are associated with side effects and HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) complications. The purposes of this study were to estimate the frequency and intensity of HIV-related signs and symptoms in patients with HIV infection and to explore relationships between HIV-related symptoms and the HAART regimen. Data on a total of 172 HIV-positive patients enrolled in an HIV case management program were analyzed for this study. Participants experienced an average of 9.73 ± 7.27 symptoms, with fatigue, dry mouth and weakness the most frequently reported. Average mean symptom intensity among participants was 13.24 ± 11.48. Insomnia, depression and disorientation were the most severe symptoms. No differences were recorded between HIV-related symptoms and disease progression. Fatigue intensity showed significant differences between NRTI (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors), +NNRTI (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) and NRTI+PI (protease inhibitors) based regimens (p = .03). In addition, cluster symptoms of confusion/distress among participants without HAART had a significantly higher mean intensity than those with HAART (t = 2.0, df = 1, p = .04). Our study indicated that symptom management for fatigue and early detection of psychological distress is needed to improve quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 35-42 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Nursing |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 2009 Feb |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Nursing(all)