Ethical dilemma

[applesauce14]

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What is the ethical dilemma around surgeons performing elective procedures on HIV positive patients? Maybe I am just completely oblivious, but with our technology and PPE today, can't surgeons be fully protected? Why is this an ongoing ethical dilemma?

 

[Moko]

What is the ethical dilemma around surgeons performing elective procedures on HIV positive patients? Maybe I am just completely oblivious, but with our technology and PPE today, can't surgeons be fully protected? Why is this an ongoing ethical dilemma?

Unless I'm missing something, there is no ethical dilemma here. HIV-positive patients deserve the same care as everyone else.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I oversaw hospital infection control for 3.5 years and I’m not aware of any ethical dilemmas. Standard precautions should suffice. You’d want to make sure the patients condition was controlled and that the procedure was safe for the patient.

I know there’s been some discussions related to HIV patients and transplants.

 

[wholeheartedly]

There could be some related to covid happening now as far as not having the right PPE and also not doing procedures on people who might have a higher risk of needing admission due to hospital capacity issues and whatnot..

 

[LizzyM]

I recall it being an issue 30 years ago before we had any proven treatments. Are these questions from old-timers or from question banks from the last century?

 

[tiger1810]

I recall it being an issue 30 years ago before we had any proven treatments. Are these questions from old-timers or from question banks from the last century?

I got this exact question in a committee interview this year

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

I got this exact question in a committee interview this year

What is a committee interview? Sounds intense.

 

[tiger1810]

What is a committee interview? Sounds intense.

At some schools, candidates interview with a panel of professors and pre-health advisors before applying. The panel usually writes an evaluation that's included with LORs. Mine lasted a little over an hour, but it was super chill and I got great feedback.

 

[LizzyM]

Either these are old-timers who haven't updated their questions in 25 years or they are determining whether you have discriminatory bias against people who are HIV+.

 

[tiger1810]

Either these are old-timers who haven't updated their questions in 25 years or they are determining whether you have discriminatory bias against people who are HIV+.

Almost certainly the latter. It was by far the easiest ethics/scenario question I've gotten in any interview.