You have just recently married and moved across the country to the city where your husband was raided. His parents helped you secure a full-time dental hygiene position with their family dentist, Dr. Ramos. You are quite happy working with the office staff, as well as meeting and getting to know many of your in-law’s family and friends, who are patients of the practice as well. Today, your mother-in-law, June, is scheduled for her 6 months recall appointment. This is the first time you will be treating her. You review her medical history, and she states that lately she’s been feeling tied, lethargic, and has poor appetite. SHe assumed she was just overtired from all the wedding planning and festivities. She hasn’t been able to workout regularly, as she has musculoskeletal aches and pains. Your clinical examination reveals gingival enlargement and spontaneous gingival bleeding, despite excellent self-care. Her tissue are swollen, glazed, and spongy, red to deep purple in appearance, and ooze blood intermittently. She also appears to have facial swelling. You review the notes from her last appointment, which was 6 months ago, and see that her tissues were classified as normal and healthy. You become very concerned that June may have a serious medical condition, and you are not sure what to do. You feel that you need to discuss this with your husband before saying anything to june.
What systemic conditions do you think could be causing June’s signs/ symptoms?
What ethical principles are in conflict in this dilemma?
What is the best way for you to handle this ethical dilemma?
The systematic condition that is causing these symptoms may be gingivitis.
The common symptoms of gingivitis includes:
The ethical principles of confidentiality is present in this dilemma. It says that the information about the patient should be confidential until and unless they tell you , the information should not be disclosed . Here discussing with husband before telling to June is breaching confidentiality.
The best way to handle this ethical dilemma , is to explain first about the disease situation. And also explain about the disease condition to mother-in-law and after taking informed consent , it can be discussed with husband for the selection of treatment options.
You have just recently married and moved across the country to the city where your husband...