Texas anesthesiologist accused of intentionally compromising IV bags; killing coworker and injuring multiple patients

A Dallas anesthesiologist has been arrested on allegations of purposely tampering with IV baggage, resulting in the dying of one of his coworkers and accidents to a number of individuals, federal prosecutors mentioned Thursday. 

The Justice Department introduced federal felony expenses in opposition to Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr. for allegedly injecting nerve blocking brokers and different medicine into affected person IV baggage, resulting in the dying of a co-worker at a surgical heart, together with cardiac emergencies for multiple patients, in response to a press release from the U.S Attorney’s Office. 

Ortiz faces federal counts of tampering with a shopper product and intentionally adulterating medicine. 

The felony complaints states that on June 21, one of Ortiz’s 55-year-old feminine coworkers died instantly after utilizing an IV bag taken from the surgical heart the place she and Ortiz labored. An post-mortem discovered that she died from a deadly dose of a nerve blocking agent typically used throughout the administration of anesthesia, prosecutors mentioned. 

On Aug. 24, an 18-year-old male affected person skilled a cardiac emergency throughout surgical procedure and was hospitalized, prosecutors mentioned. 

Workers on the surgical heart had been then capable of single out 10 further situations the place patients skilled surprising cardiac emergencies throughout “otherwise unremarkable” surgical procedures between May and August 2022, prosecutors mentioned. 

Surveillance video related Ortiz to a number of of the incidents, in response to the grievance. 

In one occasion, Ortiz was captured inserting a single IV bag inside a stainless-steel bag hotter, scanning the hallway, and shortly strolling away. Just one hour later, a 56-year-old lady suffered a cardiac emergency throughout a beauty surgical procedure after a bag from the hotter was used throughout her process, prosecutors mentioned. 

In one other occasion, Ortiz was noticed leaving his working room carrying an IV bag hidden in a paper folder and swapping it for an additional bag from the hotter. About half-hour later, a 54-year-old lady suffered a cardiac emergency throughout a scheduled beauty surgical procedure after a bag from the hotter was used throughout her process, in response to the felony grievance. 

Prosecutors mentioned all of the incidents started two days after Oritz was notified of a disciplinary inquiry for “deviating from the standard of care” throughout an anesthesia process. In addition, all of the incidents passed off across the time Ortiz was working within the facility, and none passed off whereas he was on trip. Prosecutors added that Ortiz complained to his co-workers that the middle was attempting to “crucify” him.

If convicted as charged, he faces a most sentence of life in jail.