Texas Anesthesiologist Found Guilty Of Harming Patients With IV Bags

An anesthesiologist from Texas named Raynaldo Riviera Ortiz Jr. was recently convicted on multiple charges. Here's the details of the case.

Raynaldo Riviera Ortiz Jr. And His Crimes

According to NBC DFW, the case began in August of 2022 At Baylor Scott & White’s SurgiCare, located in North Dallas. According to the prosecution on the case, Ortiz was alleged to have injected 5 IV bags with drugs that would stop a person's heart, then putting them in a warming bin. This, in turn, would cause doctors to use the IV bags without knowing the drugs were in the bags in question.

Following the use of the bags, cardiac emergencies occurred in four patients following operations. In addition, another anesthesiologist, Dr. Melanic Kaspar, passed away following use of a IV Bag to help with dehydration.

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Investigation Reveals The Drugs In The IV Bags And Video Showing Him Handling Bags

Law And Crime Network provided further details about the case. According to the news organization, an unnamed 18 year old patient began having multiple issues after a surgery for their sinuses. The complications included cardiac dysfunction, high blood pressure, and pulmonary edema symptoms. When the IV bag administered to the patient underwent testing, the problems were found.

Law and Crime reports that bupivacaine, epinephrine and lidocaine where discovered in the bag. The drugs together combined to cause the issues in the patient. Law enforcement, during their examination, found the area where Ortiz pierced the bag to insert the drug.

Ortiz was also seen on camera tampering with the bags, after which the bags were brought to patients' room for use.

Prosecutors described the reasoning for Ortiz's actions as him being angry for disciplinary problems, one of them being to allegedly cause a loss of his medical license.

Ortiz was recently found guilty on 10 counts, four counts being tampering with consumer products resulting in serious bodily injury, one count being tampering with a consumer product, and five being intentional adulteration of a drug.

As this is a developing story, we will have more information when it becomes available.