Police arrest North Texas doctor at center of IV bag tampering investigation
Police arrest North Texas doctor at center of IV bag tampering investigation
A Dallas doctor whose license was suspended last week has been arrested as part of a criminal investigation into alleged tampering with IV bags. The Texas Medical Board's suspension order says the investigation surrounds the death of at least one person who received one of those IV bags from the Baylor Scott & White Surgicare in North Dallas.
DALLAS - A Dallas doctor whose license was suspended last week has been arrested as part of a criminal investigation into alleged tampering with IV bags.
The Texas Medical Board's suspension order says the investigation surrounds the death of at least one person who received one of those IV bags from the Baylor Scott & White Surgicare in North Dallas.
Dallas police say they arrested Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz on Wednesday. Last Friday, the Texas Medical Board issued an order that temporarily suspends his license pending a criminal investigation.
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A medical website profile says Ortiz works as an anesthesiologist at Baylor Scott & White Surgicare in North Dallas and at Garland Anesthesia Consultants located in Richardson. The medical boards order also listed his employment at both facilities and adds he operates the Garland facility.
The Texas Medical Board's suspension order says the ongoing criminal investigation relates to serious cardiac complications and a patient's death at the Baylor Scott & White Surgicare from May to September of this year.
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The order says Ortiz was seen on surveillance video allegedly "putting single IV bags into the warmer in the hall outside the operating room."
The order went on to say "when he deposited an IV bag in the warmer, shortly thereafter a patient would suffer a serious complication.’
The order says a physician from the Surgicare in June took a "tampered IV bag home with her when she was ill, to rehydrate."
The order says: "she inserted the IV into her vein at home and almost immediately had a serious cardiac event and died."
The medical board order says the Dallas County medical examiner concluded her death was caused by accidental bupivacaine toxicity.
The medical board document says the IV bags allegedly tampered with by Ortiz "displayed visible tiny holes in the plastic wrap around the bags. These tampered bags contained bupivacaine but were not labeled as such."
Tests were run on the bag given to the health patient who had a cardiac event, and it contained similar drugs, according to the board’s findings.
On Sept. 8, the board was contacted by federal law enforcement. Less than 24 hours later, the board suspended Ortiz's license.
The U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas did not release any details about what Ortiz is charged with, saying federal court documents are still sealed.
Baylor Scott & White issued a statement after Ortiz's Wednesday arrest that says:
Dr. Ortiz also faced punishment in October 2018 following a series of domestic violence allegations and animal cruelty.
Dallas police directed any questions about Ortiz's arrest to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Bond for Ortiz was not listed on the Dallas County jail website.