Question

A dental assistant is working with a dentist in the examination of a new patient. The patient has a severely abscessed tooth and will require extensive root canal work. As the assistant prepares for the invasive procedure, the patient mentions that his partner has recently died of AIDS and that he, too, has AIDS. The assistant freezes. He is afraid of getting infected with the AIDS virus.

Explain these questions

1. Can he refuse to assist in this procedure? Why or why not? Use ethical virtues to support your answer.
2. Explain how you would act in this situation using Dr. Lo’s clinical model.
3. Discuss the potential role of an ethics committee and a quality assurance program in this case.
4. Describe which type of ethics you would subscribe to as it relates to this case and why.

DO NOT PROVIDE ANY ANSWER THAT IS ALREADY HERE ON CHEGG

Answer 1

Introduction:

HIV(humman immunodeficiency virus) causes AIDS which interferes and distract the body's ability to fight infections.

The virus get transmitted through blood, saliva and gingival fluid from all dental patients are prone to get infected. A Routine Practice for preventing transmission of bloodborne infectious diseases is necessary.

Precautions to be taken by dentist:

• Gloves for new patient is must.
• Wash hands:in prior and after every dental procedure by removeing gloves.
• It is important to Wear masks, face/eye protection or plastic face shields for protection of mouth and nose from blood, saliva or gingival fluids.
• Sterilization of dental instruments should be done before and after every procedure.

HIV PREVENTION:

Initially a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV infection is based on the judgment of a dentist and should be a joint decision with the dental hygienist as well as the patient. PEP often involves having a combination of 2 or 3 antiretroviral drugs for about 4 weeks. PEP can help to reduce, but not eliminate, a person’s risk of getting infected. The PEP should begin initially, as it may be less effective if started more than 72 hours after exposure.