You have an HIV-positive patient in the office. You ask her if she has informed her partner that she is HIV-positive. She has repeatedly resisted your attempts to have her inform the partner. She is pregnant with his child. The partner is in the waiting room and you have met him many times. What should you do?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: You have full legal protection if you inform the partner. The safety of an innocent person is always more important that privacy. You are not legally mandated to inform the partner directly but you are protected if you do. You have no liability in breaking confidentiality for this purpose. You definitely are liable if the patient's partner seroconverts and you did not tell him he was at risk even though you knew. This is a version of the Tarasof case in psychiatry (Tarasof v: Regents of the State of California, 17 Cal3d 424 [1976]). If a mentally ill patient discloses to you in confidence that he is planning to injure someone, you have an absolute mandate to inform both law enforcement as well as the person at risk. If you know that harm may occur, but you do nothing, then you are liable. If partner notification is going to occur, you must inform the patient that you will inform her partner.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Systemic medications affect the entire body by entering the bloodstream, unlike local medications.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Sublingual administration involves dissolving medication under the tongue for rapid absorption.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: These are anticonvulsants primarily used to manage seizures.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Antibiotics specifically target bacterial infections.