Anesthesiologist sued for tech using drugs on the cart

[gtb]

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http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19527331?source=rsshomemiss

Beware. The article discusses a lawsuit filed against the anesthesiologist in a room where the anesthesia tech used the narcotics on the cart, and patients were infected with Hep-C.

The article's posted comments are especially enlightening to me.

 

[pgg]

"I think it's folklore. It's urban legend," Gorman responded.

I don't know how any anesthesiologist who's practiced on planet Earth for more than 15 or 20 minutes could possibly think that diversion is just "urban legend" ...

 

[IlDestriero]

I don't know how any anesthesiologist who's practiced on planet Earth for more than 15 or 20 minutes could possibly think that diversion is just "urban legend" ...

I don't understand their attitude at all. They're all defending an indefensible practice, directly in violation of their own guidelines, JC guidelines, common sense, etc.
They should have settled long ago. It's like they're trying to lose. Maybe they need a farce trial to win on a technicality.
One thing that might come up is that even if they locked the drugs in the cart, the anesthesia techs have a key to the cart. We have a separate narc box with a key. Of course, many just lock the key in the cart...
I say random drug test everyone. It works in the .mil👍

 

[deleted126335]

I don't know how any anesthesiologist who's practiced on planet Earth for more than 15 or 20 minutes could possibly think that diversion is just "urban legend" ...

It is an argument the doc is making for a potential jury. Trying to place all the blame on the person who took the syringe, contaminated it and put it back. Having read many depositions, you wouldn't believe what people will argue...both defense and plaintiff.

 

[Bertelman]

I don't understand their attitude at all. They're all defending an indefensible practice, directly in violation of their own guidelines, JC guidelines, common sense, etc.
They should have settled long ago. It's like they're trying to lose. Maybe they need a farce trial to win on a technicality.
One thing that might come up is that even if they locked the drugs in the cart, the anesthesia techs have a key to the cart. We have a separate narc box with a key. Of course, many just lock the key in the cart...
I say random drug test everyone. It works in the .mil👍

I thought it was a surgical tech

 

[IlDestriero]

I thought it was a surgical tech

What! That was my whole defense strategy! F@*%!
You're right. The article calls her a surgery technician. Nice mug shot.

 

[Idiopathic]

why did she get 30 years? is there some part of the story Im missing?

 

[Bertelman]

why did she get 30 years? is there some part of the story Im missing?

For infecting several people with Hep C. What do you think she should have been sentenced?

 

[pgg]

I don't understand their attitude at all. They're all defending an indefensible practice, directly in violation of their own guidelines, JC guidelines, common sense, etc.
They should have settled long ago. It's like they're trying to lose. Maybe they need a farce trial to win on a technicality.
One thing that might come up is that even if they locked the drugs in the cart, the anesthesia techs have a key to the cart. We have a separate narc box with a key. Of course, many just lock the key in the cart...
I say random drug test everyone. It works in the .mil👍

Everywhere I've ever worked, techs have access to the carts and restock the non-scheduled drugs. Nobody's worried about them stealing neostigmine or esmolol ... but propofol's abusable, and I've wondered how much liability hospitals are setting themselves up for with all the propofol floating around without any control or accounting.

JC was through here last summer, and at that time they were OK with non-scheduled drugs being left on top of the cart while the anesthesiologist is out of the room (as the room itself is deemed a secure area). All the old angst about "pre-labeled" syringes is gone now too. I don't believe that they'd have a sense of humor about fentanyl laying around.


But leaving scheduled drugs laying around? She must be counting on Johnny Cochrane and the Chewbacca Defense ...



I'm on the fence about drug testing. It only sorta works in the .mil ... we had a CRNA diverting for 5+ months and he didn't get caught until his needs got so great that he started coming in on weekends and checking out drugs for patients that weren't his. The testing didn't catch him. The guys getting caught are the E3s smoking pot on the weekends.

On the extreme end of defeating the lab tests, you've got this guy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Schneeberger

Smart people are going to get away with it, for a while.

 

[Meibomian SxN]

On the extreme end of defeating the lab tests, you've got this guy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Schneeberger

Smart people are going to get away with it, for a while.

OMG! He actually had that inserted in his arm for premeditated rape??? 😱

Sad reality is that doc's are held responsible for their staff, Smh.

 

[pgg]

OMG! He actually had that inserted in his arm for premeditated rape??? 😱

Yeah until I saw that, I thought the Whizzinator was the absolute unsurpassable pinnacle of bodily fluid fraud.

 

[deleted126335]

Yeah until I saw that, I thought the Whizzinator was the absolute unsurpassable pinnacle of bodily fluid fraud.

Buddy of mine was in the navy. To beat a drug test, he saw a guy who paid a friend for his urine, emptied his own bladder inserted a foley in himself and filled his own bladder with his buddy's urine. He got busted because his buddy was also dirty.

 

[Idiopathic]

For infecting several people with Hep C. What do you think she should have been sentenced?

thats not the issue. not all states have criminalized intentional HIV transmission and those that have are usually topped out at 5-10 years, although some max out at 20 years. im sure the diversion added to the charges, it just seems high. I realize HIV and HepC are different conditions, but I wouldnt expect there to be dramatically different sentencing guidelines.

 

[Bertelman]

thats not the issue. not all states have criminalized intentional HIV transmission and those that have are usually topped out at 5-10 years, although some max out at 20 years. im sure the diversion added to the charges, it just seems high. I realize HIV and HepC are different conditions, but I wouldnt expect there to be dramatically different sentencing guidelines.

May have gotten 5 per incident

 

[Idiopathic]

probably treu, i didnt realize it was 18 people. the guy who intentionally gave 13 women HIV in 1996 got 4-12 years, but each case is different.

 

[kazuma]

Buddy of mine was in the navy. To beat a drug test, he saw a guy who paid a friend for his urine, emptied his own bladder inserted a foley in himself and filled his own bladder with his buddy's urine. He got busted because his buddy was also dirty.

My buddy was an ER tech in undergrad and he had a patient that tried a "similar" technique. However, instead of a foley, he filled the hose on the fix a flat can with urine and tried to inject the urine. You have to give the guy credit for making an interesting trauma case.

 

[gtb]

why did she get 30 years? is there some part of the story Im missing?

Here's the unhappy story of the Hospital tech who spread hep C via drug thefts getting 30 years in prison.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_14466337?source=pkg

 

[Consigliere]

Buddy of mine was in the navy. To beat a drug test, he saw a guy who paid a friend for his urine, emptied his own bladder inserted a foley in himself and filled his own bladder with his buddy's urine. He got busted because his buddy was also dirty.

It's called an "OIL CHANGE."