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Surgical Care of the HIV-Infected Patient: A Moral Imperative

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2009

William P Schecter
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Extract

An increasing number of HIV-infected patients require surgical care. Many surgeons, regardless of their venue of practice, would prefer not to treat HIV-infected patients.1 The reasons for this attitude differ from individual to individual but include the fear of contracting an incurable fatal illness, a desire to avoid interaction with homosexuals and intravenous drug users, and fears that occupationally acquired HIV infection would result in restriction of clinical privileges and loss of income.2,3 At the same time, many individuals, institutions, and professional organizations have affirmed the obligation of all healthcare workers, including surgeons, to care for patients without regard to their HIV status.4-6 This article explores the nature of this obligation from the perspective of a clinical surgeon working in an inner city hospital.

Type
Special Section: Hospitals and Moral Imperatives
Information
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics , Volume 1 , Issue 3 , Summer 1992 , pp. 223 - 228
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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References

Notes

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