A jury convicted a Dallas doctor of lacing IV bags with dangerous drugs leading to at least 10 patient emergencies. Raynaldo Ortiz is also implicated in the death of a fellow anesthesiologist. Maria Guerrero has more on the story.
Former Dallas anesthesiologist Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz is facing up to life in prison after being found guilty Friday by a federal jury on 10 counts of tampering with IV bags and the adulteration of drugs.
The jury convicted Ortiz on Friday after several days of testimony in the trial. Now Chief District Judge David Godbey will determine Ortiz's punishment, which could include life in prison.
Ortiz was accused of injecting heart-stopping drugs into five IV bags and placing them in a warming bin for other medical staff to use on their patients at Baylor Scott & White’s SurgiCare in North Dallas over five days in August 2022.
Four patients suffered cardiac emergencies during low-risk cosmetic procedures which required them to be rushed to the hospital. Ortiz is also suspected in 13 other unexplained emergencies between May and August 2022 but is only charged with tampering causing serious bodily injury to four patients.
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Jurors considered charges 1-5: tampering with a consumer product [IV bags]; including four causing serious bodily injury. Jurors also considered charges 6-10: adulterating of drugs [IV bags].
Jurors were able to either convict Ortiz of some, none, or all charges.
Ortiz is implicated, but not charged, in the death of fellow anesthesiologist Dr. Melanic Kaspar in June 2022. Kaspar reportedly took an IV bag home to rehydrate herself and died in front of her husband. Her autopsy found a lethal dose of bupivacaine in her system.
