Fatal Extraction by Mark C. RomMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is an in-depth retelling of the government investigation and bureaucratic response to several patients of dentist Dr. Acer being infected with AIDS by that doctor. Exactly how this happened, or if it was even willful, may never be known. Uncovering from 2000+ patients 10 or so HIV+ persons, how does one know the infection came from the dentist? This not a straightforward answer, although on a genetic level similarity in infections makes a case strong enough to stand up in court. This makes for some interesting statistics arguments. What is the z-score of this 10 out of 2000 for that community at that time? How unexpected was it? That raw data is not here, but the set up for how the CDC determined chance infection to be 0.00038% is (pp. 107-8), which was the basis for the Dr. being at fault. Some of the few that were infected chanced to visit the clinic on the same day - stats say that was a 60% chance so not unusual. Another good potential classroom capsule there. Maybe I drift to the black/white mathematics as it is so uncomfortable Kimberly Bergalis confronted with AIDS unexpectedly in her early 20s and considering the potential gray areas of legal controls and strictures around this issue. Some history of how these issues were raised decades ago with tuberculosis are also here in this detailed if dry work.
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