The HIV-positive dentist: balancing the rights of the health care worker and the patient

We describe a hypothetical case of an HIV-positive dentist without cognitive impairment who uses proper infection control procedures. The dentist's physician notifies the medical officer of health without the dentist's consent. Although HIV-positive health care workers, including dentists,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Medical Association journal 2001-06, Vol.164 (12), p.1715-1718
Main Authors: Gardam, Michael A, Flanagan, William F, Salit, Irving E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
AIDS
Dentists
Health aspects
HIV Infections - transmission
HIV Seropositivity
Humans
Infection Control
Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient
Male
Medical personnel
Ontario
Patients
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Review
Rights
Risk Factors
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Summary:We describe a hypothetical case of an HIV-positive dentist without cognitive impairment who uses proper infection control procedures. The dentist's physician notifies the medical officer of health without the dentist's consent. Although HIV-positive health care workers, including dentists, have been identified in the past, proven HIV transmission to patients is very rare. Most authorities recommend that an HIV-positive health care worker be monitored by an expert panel, which could then, if necessary, refer to the regulatory body to revoke or restrict the person's license to practice. Mandatory HIV testing is not required for health care workers because they generally do not pose a risk for infecting their patients; they are, however, ethically and legally obligated to report their HIV status to their profession's regulatory body.
ISSN:0008-4409
0820-3946
1488-2329