Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that a Dallas anesthesiologist was arrested on suspicion of intentionally tampering with intravenous bags, resulting in the death of one of his employees and the injury of numerous others.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department announced federal criminal charges against Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr. for allegedly injecting nerve blocking agents and other drugs into patient IV bags, resulting in the death of a co-worker at a surgical center and cardiac emergencies for multiple patients.
Ortiz is charged with tampering with a consumer product and willfully adulterating pharmaceuticals on a federal level.
According to the criminal complaint, on June 21, one of Ortiz’s employees, a 55-year-old woman, died immediately after using an IV bag retrieved from the surgery center where she and Ortiz worked. Prosecutors said an autopsy revealed that she died from a deadly dose of a nerve-blocking drug commonly administered during anesthesia.
An 18-year-old male patient encountered a cardiac emergency during surgery on August 24 and was hospitalized, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors claim that workers at the surgical center were able to identify ten further cases in which patients encountered cardiac crises following “otherwise normal” surgery between May and August 2022.
According to the complaint, surveillance footage linked Ortiz to a number of the incidents.
In one occasion, Ortiz was observed placing a single IV bag into a stainless-steel bag warmer, scanning the hallway, and leaving the room swiftly. Prosecutors claim that one hour later, a 56-year-old female patient undergoing cosmetic surgery experienced a cardiac emergency after a bag from the warmer was utilized during her procedure.
In a separate incident, Ortiz was seen exiting the operating room with an IV bag concealed in a paper folder and exchanging it for a bag from the warmer. According to the criminal complaint, a 54-year-old woman suffered a cardiac issue around 30 minutes after a bag from the warmer was utilized during her scheduled cosmetic surgery.
All events allegedly began two days after Oritz was notified of a disciplinary investigation for “deviating from the standard of care” during an anesthesia operation, according to the prosecution. In addition, none of the instances occurred while Ortiz was on vacation; they all occurred when he was working at the facility. Prosecutors added that Ortiz complained to his colleagues that the facility was attempting to “crucify” him.
If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.