MDR-TB can develop when a person with TB disease

MDR-TB can develop when a person with TB disease

• A. Takes all prescribed medication as directed
• B. Does not take all prescribed medication
• C. Takes medications in higher doses than prescribed
• D. Skips medical follow-up appointments

Answer: (B)

Not finishing a full course of TB treatment allows the bacteria to survive and can lead to mutations that make them resistant to the drugs used. TB treatment relies on taking several medications together for several months; when doses are missed or the course is stopped early, some bacteria aren’t killed, and those surviving ones can become resistant, resulting in multidrug-resistant TB. Taking all medications as prescribed keeps the bacterial population suppressed and prevents resistance from developing. Taking higher doses isn’t a safe or effective way to prevent resistance, and skipping follow-up can lead to adherence problems, but the core reason MDR-TB occurs is not completing the prescribed therapy.

Not finishing a full course of TB treatment allows the bacteria to survive and can lead to mutations that make them resistant to the drugs used. TB treatment relies on taking several medications together for several months; when doses are missed or the course is stopped early, some bacteria aren’t killed, and those surviving ones can become resistant, resulting in multidrug-resistant TB. Taking all medications as prescribed keeps the bacterial population suppressed and prevents resistance from developing. Taking higher doses isn’t a safe or effective way to prevent resistance, and skipping follow-up can lead to adherence problems, but the core reason MDR-TB occurs is not completing the prescribed therapy.