Table 1 Responses to practice-related questions regarding the management of acute pain in HIV+/AIDS patients (responses by physicians who had managed HIV+/AIDS patients in the preceding year: n = 49)
Practice trends | Frequency | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Approximately how many HIV-infected patients have you treated in your emergency room during the last year? | Â | Â |
 ≤ 20 | 43 | 87.8 |
 21 to 40 | 2 | 4.1 |
 41 to 60 | 1 | 2.0 |
 61 to 80 | 1 | 2.0 |
 > 80 | 2 | 4.1 |
What was the most common presenting complaint? | Â | Â |
 Trauma | 6 | 12.5 |
 Non-traumatic conditions | 26 | 54.2 |
 Pain due to other diseases | 8 | 16.7 |
 Others | 8 | 16.7 |
 No response | 1 | 2.0 |
What drugs do you commonly use to treat acute pain in HIV+/AIDS patients? | Â | Â |
 Opioid | 9 | 18.4 |
 NSAID | 4 | 8.2 |
 Paracetamol | 4 | 8.2 |
 Combination | 30 | 61.2 |
 Other | 0 | 0 |
 No response | 2 | 4.1 |
What other modalities do you commonly employ to treat acute pain in HIV+/AIDS patients? | Â | Â |
 Physiotherapy | 13 | 26.5 |
 Acupuncture | 0 | 0 |
 Psychotherapy | 3 | 6.1 |
 Nerve blocks | 12 | 24.5 |
 Regional anesthesia | 9 | 18.4 |
 Others | 5 | 10.2 |
 No response | 7 | 14.3 |
Is pain assessment done for all patients presenting to the emergency room at your hospital? | Â | Â |
 Yes | 37 | 75.5 |
 No | 12 | 24.5 |
What method is used for assessment of pain in your emergency room? | Â | Â |
 Categorical Scale (mild, moderate, severe) | 18 | 36. |
 Visual Analog Scale | 5 | 10.2 |
 Numeric rating Scale | 26 | 53.1 |
 No response | 0 | 0 |
Are any guidelines in place at your hospital for managing trauma related pain? | Â | Â |
 Yes | 28 | 57.1 |
 No | 20 | 40.8 |
 No response | 1 | 2.0 |
Is multi-modal therapy for management of acute pain part of HIV patients’ treatment in your unit? |  |  |
 Yes | 13 | 26.5 |
 No | 5 | 10.2 |
 No response | 31 | 63.3 |
Is pain treated with available resources to patient’s satisfaction? |  |  |
 Yes | 21 | 42.9 |
 No | 2 | 4.1 |
 No response | 26 | 53.1 |