failure of antibiotic therapy

Etiology: 1) antibiotic ineffective against pathogen 2) undrained pus, particularly in abdomen or pelvis 3) antibiotic therapy too brief a) endocarditis b) osteomyelitis c) lung abscess d) tuberculous & functional infections 4) patient non-compliance 5) colonized foreign body a) intravenous catheter b) prosthetic joints c) heart valves 6) inappropriate dosage & delivery of antibiotic 7) failure to recognize immunodeficiency syndrome 8) inducible expression of resistance, especially Gm- aerobes 9) incorrect diagnosis

References

Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998