title: Infected physicians and invasive procedures: safe practice management.
abstract: There is currently no public policy that provides guidance concerning whether and when physicians infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and/or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can safely perform invasive procedures. A committee of experts in the fields of medicine, law, and biomedical ethics and 1 community member, aided by an advisory board, was established to produce recommendations for policy reform. An extensive literature review was conducted for these 3 infectious diseases, medicine, surgery, epidemiology, law, and bioethics to gather all relevant data. Special recommendations are made regarding the management of physicians who are infected with HIV, HBV, and/or HCV. This policy proposal includes a list of exposure-prone procedures and a decision chart that indicates under what conditions infected physicians can practice beyond the need for disclosure of their serological status.
authors.affiliation: The Center for Biomedical Ethics, University of Virginia Health Science Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0758, USA. ar6j@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Angelique M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Reitsma
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Closen
authors.forename: Marshall
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: Henry N F
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Minich
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Ronald L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wispelwey
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Tereskerz
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D030881:Disclosure; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010820:Physicians / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards*; D012307:Risk Factors