Fatal Extraction: The Story Behind the Florida Dentist Accused of Infecting His Patients with HIV and Poisoning Public Health [Hardcover]

Mark Carl Rom (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787909912 | ISBN-13: 978-0787909918 | Publication Date: June 13, 1997 | Edition: 1

This in-depth examination of a compelling public health case takes you step-by-step through the world of medical detective work, as the Centers for Disease Control determine whether Dr. Acer did infect Kimberly Bergalis and other patients, and, if so, whether Acer's actions were accidents or acts of premeditated murder. At the same time, it raises a myriad of public health issues that are of concern to us all.

Fatal Extraction clearly shows how the Centers for Disease Control--and other government agencies--respond to the Bergalis case and similar incidents, examines why government officials act as they do, and questions what they can do differently. As the book unravels the mysteries surrounding Kimberly Bergalis's tragic infection, it informs readers of the actions we can expect (and should demand) our government to take to protect the health of patients, medical workers, and all citizens.

Mark Carl Rom is assistant professor of Government and Public Policy, Georgetown University, and a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar of Health Policy and Research at the University of California, Berkeley. Rom also served as Project Manager of the U.S. General Accounting Office's inquiry into the CDC's handling of the Bergalis/Acer case.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Despite its provocative title, this work is a thoroughly researched investigation of the case of Kimberly Bergalis and several other patients who apparently were infected with HIV by a Florida dentist during the late 1980s. The author, who served as principal investigator of the U.S. General Accounting Office's study of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's handling of this case, concludes that the agency did a good job, although the actual mode of transmission of the virus remains uncertain. The book discusses such thorny issues as confidentiality for both patients and healthcare providers and the difficulty of proving cause and effect in scientific research. The latter is an especially important concept for consumers, who, bombarded with health news in the popular media, might make decisions about their own health based on scanty scientific evidence. Because the incident in question occurred several years ago, readers might not find the book as compelling as they might were the story fresher. Nevertheless, it is recommended for public libraries.?Linda Gleason, Univ. of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey Lib., Newark
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Using as his case in point the well-known Kimberly Bergalis incident--in which a dentist was suspected of having infected Bergalis and several other patients with the AIDS virus--Rom probes deeply into the question of how public health policy is made. As the principal investigator of the Government Accounting Office's inquiry into the federal Centers for Disease Control's handling of this case, Rom expected to find that the CDC had made major mistakes. Instead, he found the the agency to have been both competent and thorough. The author (Government and Public Policy/Georgetown Univ.) explores the reasons for criticism of the CDC's role by the media and by advocates of both patients' and health-care workers' interests. While finding that the HIV-positive dentist, David Acer, had indeed infected Bergalis and other patients, the CDC admitted that it was unable to determine how, and without this knowledge, it was hard-pressed to develop a policy aimed at preventing future incidents. After looking at the CDC's consideration of such issues as mandatory testing of health-care workers, practice restrictions, and patient notification, and its eventual development of some rather nebulous guidelines, Rom turns to the response of Congress and the actions by state legislatures, regulators, and courts. Their actions, he finds, have produced a mixture of ambiguous and contradictory rulings. The CDC, he concludes, is the proper agency for making health policy regarding HIV and medical personnel. However, it should have brought together advocates on all sides--patients, health-care workers, medical experts--and engaged them in seeking a common interest. Rom skillfully points out what that common interest is--improving the safety of both patients and health-care providers--and how focusing on competence rather than HIV status benefits both sides. Despite the provocative title, there's no sensationalism here- -just solid research and the calm and persuasive voice of reason. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 226 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (June 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787909912
• ISBN-13: 978-0787909918
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,964,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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