A Dallas doctor is going away for the rest of his life after the court found him guilty of tampering with IV bags and adding a nerve-blocking agent as well as other drugs. He injected these drugs into the intravenous fluid in the bags.
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This caused the death of a coworker as well as several cardiac emergencies. A judge sentenced Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr. to 190 years in prison. His legal troubles came after the hospital notified him of a disciplinary inquiry into his actions after a patient experienced a medical emergency.
Police then arrested him in September 2022. This came after an 18-year-old went into cardiac arrest during a routine sinus surgery. An investigation found the presence of bupivacaine, the stimulant epinephrine and the topical anesthetic lidocaine in his IV bags.
Suspicion immediately turned to the Dallas doctor, who was the anesthesiologist. Further investigation found that 10 other mysterious cardiac emergencies occurred at the center between May and August. It was considered a high rate of complications.
Surveillance showed the Dallas doctor with an IV bag while scanning the empty hallway before walking away. An hour later, a 56-year-old woman experienced cardiac arrest after that IV bag was used during a scheduled cosmetic surgery.
Dallas Doctor Convicted
"The safety of the nation's pharmaceutical supply is critically important," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton. "The Department will vigorously prosecute this case consistent with the evidence gathered by our law enforcement partners."
Another video showed Ortiz swapping an IV bag for one he concealed with a paper folder. That 54-year-old also experienced a cardiac emergency. Meanwhile, a coworker died due to the Dallas doctor. She used an IV bag to treat dehydration then experienced cardiac arrest and died.
"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. "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. The Department of Justice and our indefatigable partners at the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations and the Dallas Police Department will work tirelessly to hold him accountable. In the meantime, it is safe to undergo anesthesia in Dallas."
"Patients expect that their doctors will use only safe and effective medical products during their surgeries. When illicit tampering occurs, serious harm and even death can result," said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations at the time. "Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who would risk patients' health and safety."
