Wow....
Kaspar’s autopsy revealed a lethal dose of bupivacaine, “a nerve blocking agent that is rarely abused but is often used during the administration of anesthesia,” the DOJ indicated.
The incident involving Kaspar occurred “on or around” June 21, according to the DOJ. On Aug. 24, another incident involving an 18-year-old man identified only as J.A. occurred. That incident was described as a “cardiac emergency during a scheduled surgery.”
“The teen was intubated and transferred to a local ICU,” the DOJ said. “Chemical analysis of the fluid from a saline bag used during his surgery revealed the presence of epinephrine (a stimulant that could have caused the patient’s symptoms), bupicavaine, and lidocaine.”
A subsequent investigation “suggested a pattern of intentional adulteration.” A total of 10 “unexpected cardiac emergencies” had occurred during “otherwise unremarkable surgeries between May and August 2022,” prosecutors indicated — an “exceptionally high rate of complications over such a short period of time.”
(bupivicaine is NEVER administered intravenously)
In each of those cases – which investigators believe occurred on or around May 26 and 27; June 27; July 7, 15 and 18; and Aug. 1, 4, 9 and 19 – medical personnel were able to stabilize the patient only through use of emergency measures. Most of the incidents occurred during longer surgeries that used more than one IV bag, including one or more bags retrieved mid-surgery from a stainless steel bag warmer.
She stated that ORTIZ was the anesthesiologist for the surgery. The nurse stated that she retrieved an IV bag from the warmer to use during the surgery, but that ORTIZ strongly refused to use the bag and physically waived the bag off. The nurse stated that she recalled the event as unusual. The nurse also stated that, around the same time, ORTIZ retrieved his own IV bags for use during his procedures. The nurse said that it was unusual for ORTIZ to engage in this practice, as doctors at Facility-1 did not typically obtain their own IV bags.
Surveillance video shows that, on August 4, 2022 at or around 11:35 a.m., ORTIZ exited Operating Room 5 and walked toward the warmer with an IV bag in his hand. No one else is visible in the video from the OR Hall at this time. In the footage, ORTIZ walked slightly past the warmer, then turned and quickly placed the IV bag into the warmer. After he placed the IV bag in the warmer, he looked both directions in the OR Hall and then quickly walked away. A short time later, ORTIZ opened the warmer and looked inside, then quickly closed the warmer.
On August 9, 2022, at or around 10:19 a.m., surveillance video shows ORTIZ exiting Operating Room 5 with an IV bag in his hand. The OR Hall was empty at the time. ORTIZ walked to the warmer and quickly placed the IV bag in the warmer.
J.E., a 78-year-old male, was in Operating Room 4 for a scheduled wrist surgery at or around the time that ORTIZ placed the IV bag in the warmer on August 9. At or around 10:54 a.m., a staff member exited Operating Room 4 and retrieved an IV bag from the warmer. Surveillance video shows that no other staff member accessed the warmer between the time ORTIZ placed the IV bag in the warmer and the time that the staff member obtained the bag at 10:54 a.m. Medical records reflect that J.E.’s blood pressure spiked at or around 11:02 a.m. Emergency measures were employed, and J.E. was transferred to an emergency facility.
“Our complaint alleges this defendant surreptitiously injected heart-stopping drugs into patient IV bags, decimating the Hippocratic oath,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham for the Northern District of Texas. “A single incident of seemingly intentional patient harm would be disconcerting; multiple incidents are truly disturbing. At this point, however, we believe that the problem is limited to one individual, who is currently behind bars. We will work tirelessly to hold him accountable. In the meantime, it is safe to undergo anesthesia in Dallas.”
