Abstract:
This descriptive research explored management of fatigue in AIDS patients. The
population was 120 AIDS patients who were treated in the OPD unit and Ambulatory
Care Unit at Bamradnaradura Institute, Nonthaburi province, Thailand. The data
collection was conducted during November to December 2003. The questionnaires
used to collect data consisted of four sections. The first section was demographic and
clinical data. The second was fatigue perception modified from The Revised Piper
Fatigue Scale. The third was fatigue management and the fourth was fatigue outcomes.
Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics e.g. frequency and percentages.
The results found that the mean age of the sample was 36.63 years and
most of them were male (59.2%). The most opportunistic infection was tuberculosis
at 65%. Regarding fatigue experienced, most patients reported weakness (98.3%), and
tiredness (96.7%), respectively. The patients evaluated fatigue as highly severe
(88.3%) and an interfered with ability to complete work at a high level (92.5%). In
addition, the response to fatigue was depression (90%) and tension (85%),
respectively. Fatigue was caused by physical factors such as loss of appetite (58.3%),
shortness of breath (52.5%), insufficient sleep (46.7%) and by psychological factors
such as stress and anxiety (50%). Fatigue management strategies that most patients
performed were behavior to reduce symptoms e.g. exercise (38.3%), sleep (30%).
Other measures included supplementary diets, vitamin and complementary therapy
e.g. positive thinking, body massage and meditation. However, most of them reported
fatigue outcome after management was at a moderate level because they performed
few management strategies to eliminate the cause of fatigue, both physical and
psychological causes.
This study could guide nurse and health care providers to analyze, evaluate
and plan solutions to the problems in experiencing fatigue. Moreover, this leads
to developing effective nursing interventions.