A former Dallas anesthesiologist was sentenced Wednesday to 190 years in prison for tampering with IV bags, which prosecutors say led to one death and numerous cardiac emergencies.
Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., 60, was convicted earlier this year for injecting dangerous drugs into patient IV bags between May and August 2022 while working at Surgicare North Dallas.
Ortiz's sentence was the maximum penalty he could face.
His attorney, John Nicholson, said in a statement that they plan to appeal the decision.
"The defense respectfully disagrees with the jury’s verdict and several of Chief Judge [David] Godbey’s rulings," Nicholson said. "Accordingly, we will invoke Dr. Ortiz’s right to appeal."
Ortiz's case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations. In an affidavit, Special Agent Chad Medaris said Ortiz had a disciplinary history both with the Texas Medical Board and with medical facilities where he had worked.
At one surgical center in 2020, the Texas Medical Board found that Ortiz did not respond to a patient’s issues in an appropriate manner and failed to document critical events.
Two years later, inquiries were made into incidents connected with Ortiz.
One incident involved a 55-year-old anesthesiologist who died after treating herself for dehydration with an IV bag from the surgical center where both she and Ortiz worked.
Federal agents obtained IV bags from the surgical center and found some had small puncture holes.
Another incident involved an 18-year-old male whose blood pressure spiked during surgery. Chemical testing of the IV bag used during the patient's procedure found the pharmaceutical stimulant epinephrine, which can cause cardiac symptoms. The fluid in the bag also tested positive for bupivacaine and lidocaine, which were not supposed to be in the bag.
Investigators determined these incidents were connected and part of an intentional tampering of the IV bags at the surgical center. Employees at the center told investigators that other incidents usually followed the same pattern once more IV bags were placed.
Surveillance video introduced into evidence in Oritz's trial showed him repeatedly retrieving IV bags and replacing them shortly 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, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release.
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