The Palliative Care and Hospice for the People Living with HIV

Choi, Jae Phil

Abstract

According to the advance of antiretroviral regimen and the early treatment strategy, people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) are achieving the goal of virologic suppression and immune restoration. Most of them no more die of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) defining illnesses, and become older with chronic comorbidities such as cardiovascular, metabolic, hepatic, renal and neurological diseases. However some PLWH still visit hospitals as late presenters with very low CD4+ T cell counts, so that they suffer AIDS defining illnesses to die or experience severe neurological complications resulting in disabilities. Early palliative interventions are needed on the various symptoms of PLWH. Thus far chronic pains such as distal symmetric sensory polyneuropathies have been underevaluated. Active pain-relieving interventions are important to them. Recently we define end of life condition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or eligibility to hospice care after adjusting current status of HIV treatment. Hospice teams should pay attention to the specific medical conditions, psychological needs, and social circumstances of PLWH. With just standard precautions as common infection control measures, general hospice cares can be provided to them like to other hospices subjects. For giving PLWH opportunities to have the end of life with value and dignity, hospice multidisciplinary team should intervene them early and aggressively. Now we need more clinical experiences and institutional improvements.