A dental assistant is working with a dentist in the examination of a new patient. The patient has a severely abscessed tooth and will require extensive root canal work. As the assistant prepares for the invasive procedure, the patient mentions that his partner has recently died of AIDS and that he, too, has AIDS. The assistant freezes. He is afraid of getting infected with the AIDS virus.

1. Can he refuse to assist in this procedure? Why or why not? Use ethical virtues to support your answer.
2. Explain how you would act in this situation using Dr. Lo's clinical model.
3. Discuss the potential role of an ethics committee and a quality assurance program in this case.
4. Describe which type of ethics you would subscribe to as it relates to this case and why.