Clinical assessment of children.

Overview HIV/AIDS in Africa is a multigenerational disease of families in which everyone, whether HIV positive or not, is affected by the disease. Support for the children infected with and affected by HIV must be delivered as a comprehensive package from a platform that can provide continuity of care to the whole family. Palliative care, provided from diagnosis of HIV infection through advanced AIDS, is the approach that best delivers the holistic care needed by children living with HIV/AIDS. This chapter describes the context for palliative care of children and adolescents in the African setting, natural history and diagnosis, and overall clinical presentation of HIV disease in children. It also covers the diagnosis of HIV infection and the framework for monitoring and ongoing palliative management. Chapter 27 addresses clinical management of the conditions and symptoms of HIV disease, while Chapter 28 covers the integration of palliative care with of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Chapters 29 through 32 focus on the various aspects of psychosocial and spiritual care.