Teen who was left fighting for his life when anesthesiologist ‘tampered with his IV bag during revenge mission against clinic’ tells trial he thought he was going to die when he foamed at the mouth and went into cardiac arrest
A teenager whose IV bag was allegedly poisoned by a rogue anesthesiologist on a revenge mission was left fighting for his life and foaming at the mouth.
Jack Alderstein, who was 18 at the time of the incident, went into cardiac arrest in August 2022 during routine nasal surgery at Baylor Scott and White SurgiCare.
Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., 61, was tried Wednesday, accused of contaminating IV bags with dangerous drugs at a hospital in Dallas, Texas.
Alderstein, now 19, said that he thought he was going to die
Eleven patients are said to have gone into cardiac arrest after receiving bags contaminated by Dr. Ortiz.
Dr. Ortiz was reportedly goaded into poisoning the IV bags out of a desire to get revenge on the hospital, which subjected him to a disciplinary investigation for his poor performance.
Jack Alderstein, 19, testified Wednesday about how he thought he was going to die after his IV bag was allegedly contaminated by Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., 61
Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr. has been accused of poisoning the IV bags of several other patients at Baylor Scott and White SurgiCare in Dallas, Texas
The 19-year-old told how he woke up in intensive care 36 hours after his operation, feeling like he was no longer there and believing he was going to die.
Alderstein’s surgeon, Dr. Thomas Hung, also testified Wednesday afternoon, explaining to the jury how a routine surgery — which he had performed countless times — took a dramatic turn.
The teen’s surgery was for a broken nose, an injury he sustained in a motorcycle accident, and was scheduled to take just two hours.
Dr. Hung testified that after a new IV bag was administered midway through the operation, Alderstein began foaming at the mouth.
The surgeon also said that there were also serious complications such as excessive bleeding and extreme blood pressure.
At that time, Dr. testified. Hung, another doctor entered the room and recommended replacing IV bags, based on an accident a week earlier.
A minute after the new IV bag was administered, Dr. Hung that the patient’s condition stabilized.
Alderstein’s mother also testified, saying that once her son recovered from the initial surgery, he returned to Baylor Scott and White SurgiCare to complete the surgery.
Dr. Ortiz was filmed taking medication from the medicine cabinet, taking a bag out of the warmer and then returning and putting a bag in the warmer – where prosecutors said the poisoned bags were regularly kept
Alderstein, who left the Dallas courtroom here Wednesday accompanied by his family, was scheduled to undergo routine nasal surgery before Dr. Ortiz allegedly contaminated his IV bag
Ms Adelstein told the court how she showed the nurse that the IV bag was locked up.
The lawyers of Dr. Ortiz said the teen had previously been diagnosed with high blood pressure, but Dr. Hung insisted that Alderstein’s medications did not cause any alarm before the surgery. Ms. Alderstein also noted that the teenager’s high blood pressure was not a problem.
The husband of an anesthesiologist who died after using an IV bag allegedly contaminated by Dr. Ortiz, also testified Wednesday.
John Kaspar told jurors how his late wife, Dr. Melanie Kaspar, 55, returned home from work at Baylor Scott and White Surgicare in June 2022 feeling bad.
She brought home an IV bag and asked her husband to help her administer it.
John Kaspar testified that five minutes later his wife began yelling at him to call an ambulance.
He told the court his biggest regret was not immediately tearing out the IV bag.
A nurse from Baylor Scott and White also testified, recounting an incident involving a 17-year-old girl undergoing surgery in July 2022.
Melanie Kaspar’s home in Dallas, where she died in June 2022, after administering an IV bag to herself – one of the incidents that sparked the investigation. If convicted, he faces life in federal prison
Dr. Melanie Kaspar, 55, an anesthesiologist at the hospital, died of cardiac arrest minutes after injecting herself with an IV bag she had brought from work after feeling dehydrated
The nurse explained how the surgery was going well until the girl was given a new IV bag before being wheeled to the recovery room.
A few minutes later, the nurse said, the girl began foaming at the mouth and turned gray.
The nurse said the 17-year-old’s oxygen levels also dropped, but she managed to survive.
At Dr. Ortiz has had his medical license revoked and could face life in prison if convicted.
The trial will take place next week.