Christchurch woman’s HIV test scare after routine dentist trip

Karen Wright has to wait three months before she finds out if she has contracted any blood-borne diseases after a "sharps injury" at her dentist photo / 123rf

A Christchurch woman has been left “gobsmacked and terrified” after she was asked to get an HIV test following a routine trip to the dentist.

To make matters worse, Karen Wright, 56, now faces a three-month wait to confirm she is in the clear.

The dental clinic is now reviewing the “isolated incident” but says there is “no indication” Wright has been exposed to any transmissible diseases.

Wright went to a Christchurch dental clinic on Friday December 23 for what she expected to be a standard appointment and a filling.

In her mind, the appointment went as normal and she was booked in for a follow-up and more work this month.

Karen Wright says she was "gobsmacked" to get a letter from her dentist saying she might have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis during her pre-Christmas appointment. Photo / Supplied

But on December 27 she received a letter from her dentist that set her whole life “on a rollercoaster”.

The subject heading of the letter was “informed consent for blood testing following exposure to blood or body fluid”.

Wright provided a copy of the letter to the Herald.

It read:

“You are being asked to give consent for your blood to be taken to test for the presence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in your blood.

“Whilst being treated at our practice you may have been exposed to blood or other body fluid and there is a risk that if the ‘source’ is carrying one of these blood-borne viruses, you may have been exposed to these viruses.

“Despite the extremely low likelihood of transmission and the fact the possible ‘source’ has no known blood-borne viruses, we will still use an abundance of caution and request for you to undertake baseline blood tests.

“Medical staff will give your blood tests to your doctor who will explain the results. It is suggested that you read the information below about these viruses and ask your doctor if you have any questions or points you may like clarified.

“Although you have an option to decline the blood test, it is greatly appreciated if you have decided to undertake this test.”

The letter then listed information about the effects of hepatitis B and C and HIV.

It stated if Wright tested positive for HIV she will “require medical follow-up and counselling about the way this will affect your life”.

“Our aim is to minimise any risk to your wellbeing through preventative measures and to act promptly if an incident does occur,” the letter finished.

A second letter provided to Wright to give her doctor said the requested testing resulted from “blood & body fluid exposure/sharps injury”.

“Although the risk of transmission of any blood-borne virus is extremely low and the “source” has been identified as having no known medical history of concern, we have suggested for Karen Wright to undertake baseline blood tests,” the second letter said.

“We have also requested the same of the identified ‘source’.”

The dental clinic said it would cover the cost of both the appointment and blood test and suggested Wright’s doctor “assess [her] need for counselling if this is appropriate”.

Wright went for a blood test as soon as she could and the initial results were clear.

However, she will need a follow-up test in about 12 weeks to confirm she has not contracted HIV.

“It’s just a waiting game now… it’s unbelievable,” Wright told the Herald.

“My doctor said nothing showed up - but I won’t know for sure until three months down the track.

“I am just bewildered… just completely gobsmacked.”

Wright works in elderly care and after she was notified of her exposure, had to disclose the situation to her employer.

She then had to be stood down for several days until her initial blood results came back.

She is back at work now and following strict mask and glove policies.

Wright said her employer had been “really supportive” of her but she still felt terrible about the ordeal.

“They are horrified for me as well,” she said.

Wright said she was shocked when she first got the letter but that had morphed into feelings of rage.

“I am furious. Now that it’s sunk in, I am very angry,” she said.

“To find this out two days after Christmas too… a mere trip to the dentist could disrupt my whole being.

“I am terrified… even though the doctor said there is only a really small chance [of an HIV infection], psychologically this really plays on my mind.”

She was scheduled to see the dentist this week for further work but had to move her appointment because of a family bereavement.

“I don’t think I could even face the dentist at the moment.”

A spokesperson for the dental clinic said the “isolated incident” was under review.

They would not elaborate on what the incident was, but said there was “no indication” Wright had been “exposed to a transmissable disease”.

“Our practice is to err on the side of caution and advise patients of any potential exposure event that may have occured,” the company said in an emailed statement.

“Patient wellbeing is our first priority and we take any event that may affect a patient extremely seriously.

“In this instance, the patient was advised as soon as [the clinic] was made aware of a potential exposure... No other patients were potentially exposed during this event, and we took action out of an abundance of caution.

“The recommended blood tests are an important means of eliminating any concerns for the patient.”

They said “incidents like this” were “not a regular occurrence.

“And, across all [of our] clinics, we have comprehensive cross-infection controls and processes in place to ensure the safety of our patients.

“Our policies and processes are designed to perform at a best practice level exceeding the standards required by the Dental Council of New Zealand.

“In light of this incident and as a result of our investigations, we are further reviewing these processes in order to identify any revisions and improvements that may be necessary.”