17 Mar 2023 • As physicians, our goal is to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients. However, despite following standard treatment protocols, some patients may not respond to treatment as expected. In such cases, it is important to identify the underlying cause of treatment failure and modify the treatment approach accordingly.

Signs of Treatment Failure Monitoring response to treatment through regular history taking, physical examination, chest radiograph and laboratory monitoring is crucial. Any patient not clinically responding to therapy after several weeks should be considered at risk for failure. Signs of treatment failure include persistent symptoms, worsening of radiological findings, and persistence or recurrence of positive culture results.

Causes of Treatment Failure Treatment failure can occur due to various reasons, including incorrect diagnosis, suboptimal drug dosing or duration of therapy, drug resistance, poor medication adherence, and coexisting conditions such as diabetes mellitus or HIV infection.

Modifying Treatment Approach When treatment failure is identified, clinicians should reassess the patient's condition, review treatment adherence, and perform additional diagnostic tests as needed. Modification of the treatment approach may include changing the drug regimen, increasing the dose or duration of therapy, or adding adjunctive therapies. In some cases, surgical intervention may also be necessary.

Join us for an insightful session with Dr Baldev Prajapati on the 22nd of March at 9:00 pm for a deeper understanding of what to do next if you don't get a response to standard treatment regimen? Register now