Ethics & Law · patient case question
For which of these infections does OSHA NOT require routine employee testing?
Patient case: The Assistant Who Reported the Office
Patient: Not applicable — practice scenario
Chief Complaint: A dental assistant has raised concerns about safety practices in the office.
Background: She reports that personal protective equipment is inconsistently available, that sharps are not always placed in the puncture-resistant container, and that she feels at risk at work. She was never offered the hepatitis B vaccine when she was hired.
Medications: Not applicable
Vital Signs: Not applicable
Findings: Review of the office confirms lapses in barrier protection, sharps handling and instrument reprocessing documentation.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. HIV
- A. CORRECT. Routine HIV screening of dental employees is NOT required. Testing is voluntary and confidential, and is offered as part of post-exposure evaluation after a specific incident — never as routine surveillance. There is no HIV vaccine and no routine titre to check.
- B. Post-vaccination anti-HBs titre testing IS part of the standard, performed 1–2 months after the final dose to confirm seroconversion. Non-responders are offered a second series.
- C. Hepatitis C testing IS part of the post-exposure evaluation protocol following a specific incident.
- D. TB screening at hire and periodically thereafter is required, with the frequency determined by the facility's community risk assessment.
Note: The underlying principle is that routine testing without an exposure incident stigmatises workers without protecting them. Standard precautions — treating EVERY patient as potentially infectious — is what actually provides protection.