Infectious Diseases

Answer 4 Discontinue treatment. The current treatment recommendations for persons with chronic HCV infection, genotype 1, is pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for 48 weeks. However, an early viral response, defined as a minimum of a 2-log decrease in viral load during the first 12 weeks of treatment, is predictive of a sustained viral response. Therefore, continuation of therapy in patients who fail to achieve this minimum response at 12 weeks is generally considered unnecessary.1 REFERENCE 1. Chronic hepatitis C: current disease management. Bethesda (MD): National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; 2002. NIH Publication No. 02-4230. Available at http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/chrnhepc/chrnhepc.htm. Accessed 2 Dec 2002. Click here to return to the questions

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