Ethics & Law · patient case question
In Scenario 3, what is the most important point to convey about the HIV-positive patient's care?
Patient case: Ethics and Occupational Exposure
demo: Multiple scenarios in one practice day
chief: Ethical and occupational issues arising during clinic
history: Scenario 1: a patient in pain demands extraction of two restorable teeth; the dentist believes root canal therapy is the better option. Scenario 2: a different patient with a periapical lesion refuses the recommended extraction. Scenario 3: an HIV-positive patient presents with a parulis on the buccal gingiva of #29. Scenario 4: the dentist sustains a needlestick from a used anesthetic needle.
meds: Not applicable
findings: See individual scenarios.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. HIV is not transmitted by fomites; standard precautions are sufficient and treatment proceeds normally
- A. A parulis is a sinus tract from an endodontic or periodontal infection and is managed by ordinary dental means.
- B. Correct. HIV is a fragile enveloped virus not transmitted through inanimate objects. Standard precautions, applied to every patient, are sufficient, and refusing or segregating care is both clinically unjustified and discriminatory.
- C. There is no separate elevated protocol for HIV; standard precautions already assume every patient may be infectious.
- D. End-of-day scheduling for HIV patients is a discredited practice with no infection control basis.