Abstract
Abstract Treatment of the person dying from AIDS requires attention to the biological, psychological, and social aspects of the patient. Diagnostic and therapeutic interventions must be appropriate for the stage of the illness, the wishes of the patient, and the risk-benefit ratio of each particular situation. Symptom management requires familiarity with the multiple problems seen in persons with AIDS (PWA). Optimal treatment of any symptom requires accurate diagnosis. Pain occurs in PWA in approximately 53% of patients. Common causes of pain include nonspecific muscle aches; headache due to lymphoma or, more often, to direct infection of the brain with HIV or parasites; localized or diffuse lymphade-nopathy; peripheral neuropathy; esophagitis; and skin problems. Treatment of the underlying etiology, if possible, is the first consideration. Symptomatic pain relief proceeds in a stepwise fashion, beginning with a peripherally acting analgesic (e.g., acetaminophen or NSAID) and adding, not substituting, a n...
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