Anesthesiologist sentenced to 190 years for IV bag tampering

Photo: Bevan Goldswain/Getty Images

A Dallas anesthesiologist who was found guilty of injecting dangerous drugs into patient IV bags, leading to one death and numerous cardiac emergencies, has been sentenced to 190 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Raynaldo Riviera Ortiz Jr., 60, was charged by criminal complaint in September 2022 and indicted the following month on charges related to tampering with IV bags used at a local surgical center. In April, following an eight-day trial, a jury convicted him of four counts of tampering with consumer products, resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of tampering with a consumer product and five counts of intentional adulteration of a drug.

During sentencing last week, Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey found that Ortiz caused the death of a colleague, and called his other acts "tantamount to attempted murder."

WHAT'S THE IMPACT?

Evidence presented at trial showed that, between May and August 2022, numerous patients at Surgicare North Dallas suffered cardiac emergencies during routine medical procedures performed by various doctors. About one month after the unexplained emergencies began, an anesthesiologist who had worked at the facility earlier that day died while treating herself for dehydration using an IV bag.

In August 2022, doctors at the surgical care center began to suspect tainted IV bags had caused the repeated crises after an 18-year-old patient had to be rushed to the intensive care unit in critical condition during a routine sinus surgery.

A local lab analyzed fluid from the bag used during the teenager's surgery and found bupivacaine (a nerve-blocking agent), epinephrine (a stimulant) and lidocaine (an anesthetic) – a drug cocktail that could have caused the boy's symptoms, which included very high blood pressure, cardiac dysfunction and pulmonary edema. The lab also observed a puncture in the plastic shell that had been around the IV bag.

Further evidence suggested that Ortiz surreptitiously injected IV bags of saline with epinephrine, bupivacaine and other drugs, placed them into a warming bin at the facility, and waited for them to be used in colleagues' surgeries, knowing their patients would experience dangerous complications.

Surveillance video showed Ortiz repeatedly retrieving IV bags from the warming bin and replacing them shortly thereafter, not long before the bags were carried into operating rooms where patients experienced complications. Video also showed Ortiz mixing vials of medication and watching as victims were wheeled out by emergency responders.

Evidence also showed that Ortiz was facing disciplinary action at the time for an alleged medical mistake made in one of his own surgeries, and that he potentially faced losing his medical license.

At trial, doctors testified about the confusion they felt when their patients' blood pressures suddenly skyrocketed. Reviewing medical records, they all noted the emergencies occurred shortly after new IV bags had been hung. Patients recalled waking up unexpectedly intubated in intensive care units they had been transported to via emergency medical transportation services, in pain and in fear for their lives.

ON THE RECORD

"This disgraced doctor acted no better than an armed assailant spraying bullets indiscriminately into a crowd," said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. "Dr. Ortiz tampered with random IV bags, apparently unconcerned with who he hurt. But he wielded an invisible weapon, a cocktail of heart-stopping drugs, concealed inside an IV bag designed to help patients heal. On at least nine separate occasions, he essentially attacked unconscious patients lying on an operating table, and even killed a colleague. I am so proud of our office's work in bringing Dr. Ortiz to justice and bringing a measure of solace to his victims and their families."

"Patients expect that their doctors will use only safe and effective medical products during their surgeries," said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead of the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI). "The illicit tampering in this case demonstrated a gross disregard for patient safety. This investigation uncovered that adulterating the IV bags caused serious adverse health consequences. This sentencing is a clear demonstration that FDA will not stop pursuing and bringing to justice those who risk patients' health and safety through their criminal actions."

Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.