What is HIV Treatment Failure

HIV/AIDS LOGO 

What is HIV Treatment Failure
HIV treatment failure is when the antiretroviral (ARV) drugs given to patients are unable to control the disease.

Types of HIV Treatment FailureFailure 
1.  Clinical Failure
2.  Immunological Failure 
3.  Virological Failure 

Other factors  that contribute to HIV treatment failure includes drug resistance, poor adherence to treatment and drug toxicity

Guide to HIV treatment failure 
There is a World Health Organization recommend guide that help both clinicians and other health workers.
1.  CD4 cell count
The CD4 cell count after 6 months of therapy should be assessed. A CD4 below the pre treatment level or a CD4 decline below 50% from the known treatment at the onset of the therapy. Also CD4 below 100 cell/uP

2.  HIV viral load
The HIV vital load after 6 months of therapy or an HIV viral load test result greater than 10,000 copies /ml

3.  Clinical progression 
The clinical progression after 6 months of therapy should be assessed and the development of an AIDS-defining illness.