A patient with schizophrenia who has not improved after two attempts of treatment with an antipsycotic drug would be identified as…

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When a patient with schizophrenia does not improve after two attempts with antipsychotic drugs, it is likely that they have treatment-resistant schizophrenia. This means that they are resistant to the effects of antipsychotic medication and may require alternative treatment options such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or clozapine (a medication specifically used for treatment-resistant schizophrenia). It is important to rule out poor antipsychotic metabolizers and poor compliance, but if these factors are not contributing to the lack of improvement, treatment-resistant schizophrenia would be the most likely explanation. Residual schizophrenia is a subtype of schizophrenia that refers to individuals who have ongoing symptoms even after an acute episode has resolved, so it would not be the best choice for this scenario.

A Patient with Schizophrenia Who Has Not Improved After Two