The trial for anesthesiologist Raynaldo Ortiz Jr., MD, who allegedly injected heart-stopping drugs into IV bags at Baylor Scott & White Surgicare North Dallas, has been set for Feb. 5, D Magazine reported Oct. 20.
A judge set a date following motions for continuance from Dr. Ortiz's attorney over the last several months, according to the report.
Dr. Ortiz allegedly injected IV bags with bupivacaine, epinephrine and lidocaine, which resulted in a colleague's death and almost a dozen patients to experience unexpected cardiac emergencies. According to the report, there is surveillance footage in which Dr. Ortiz appears to place IV bags in warmers outside operating rooms before patients had cardiac events.
The investigation began after the June 21, 2022, death of anesthesiologist Melanie Kaspar, MD, who worked at the ASC. She was originally thought to have had a heart attack, but the Dallas County Medical Examiner ruled her death to be from the effects of bupivacaine. According to the board, she took an IV bag home when she was ill to rehydrate, inserted the IV into her vein and had a serious cardiac event and died.