Fatigue in HIV/AIDS patients with comorbidities

• Published in: Applied nursing research Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 116 - 122
• Main Authors: Corless, I.B., Voss, J.G., Nicholas, P.K., Bunch, E.H., Bain, C.A., Coleman, C., Dole, P.J., Eller, L.S., Hamilton, M.J., Holzemer, W.L., Kemppainen, J.K., Kirksey, K.M., Sefcik, E.F., Nokes, K.M., Tsais, Y.F., Reynolds, N.R., Wantland, D.J., Mc Gibbon, C., Davis, S.M., Rivero Mendez, M., Valencia, C.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-08-2008; W.B. Saunders Company/JNL
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; AIDS; Case-Control Studies; Clinical medicine; Comorbidity; Fatigue; Fatigue - epidemiology; Fatigue - nursing; Fatigue - virology; Female; HIV; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - nursing; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Models, Theoretical; Morbidity; Nursing; Nursing Assessment; Patient satisfaction; Prevalence; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Severity; Symptoms; United States - epidemiology; United States
• ISSN: 0897-1897; 1532-8201
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apnr.2006.11.001

Fatigue has been identified as a key complaint among patients with HIV/AIDS. Although having more than one disease is expected to increase symptom severity, this relationship has not been explored extensively. We investigated differences in fatigue severity together with the impact of demographic factors and the number of comorbidities and symptoms among patients with and those without comorbidities at 18 international clinical and community sites. Specific comorbidities and the number of symptoms associated with increased fatigue severity. Only by distinguishing fatigue as to its causes and patterns will health care providers be able to intervene specifically and thus more effectively.