Dallas Doctor Who Allegedly Tampered With IVs Claims He Is Being Framed

The Dallas doctor that allegedly tampered with medical IVs pleaded not guilty to the charges brought forth and says that the accusations are not valid. 

WFAA reported they received a call from Baylor, Scott & White’s Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz who is being held at the Limestone County Detention Center, one day before he was due to appear in a Dallas court to be arraigned on 10 felony counts related to the allegations. He’s pleaded not guilty to the charges. In a 30-minute interview, the anesthesiologist told WFAA the videos being used against him are misleading and don’t tell the whole story.

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“All that stuff that they said was a lie,” Ortiz told WFAA. “I’ve had no lawsuits, no malpractice in 29 years, not one.”

Local Profile previously reported that Ortiz was arrested in Plano on Wednesday in September in connection to tampered IV bags. The arrest followed the death of another employee of the hospital who had used one of the tainted bags. 

According to the Texas Medical Board’s findings, Ortiz was allegedly captured on surveillance footage depositing IV bags into a bag warmer in the hall outside of operating rooms. On June 21, Dr. Melanie Kaspar took one of the IV bags home to hydrate herself but after using the IV, she suffered from cardiac episodes and died. Laboratory tests were run on the bags and evidence determined there had been tampering. Holes were discovered in the plastic wrap around the bags and contained bupivacaine, an anesthetic often used when inducing spinal anesthesia.

Multiple other patients who visited the hospital for surgeries faced serious complications after undergoing routine surgeries, including an 18-year-old. All patients claim they were relatively healthy prior to the operations. 

But Ortiz is claiming that all accusations against him are untrue. The doctor also said during the call he is being set up and that these issues first became prevalent after he reported another medical professional for sexual misconduct.

Ortiz told WFAA that before surgeries, an anesthesia technician sets up the operating room and brings in the IVs. 

“An hour, two hours later, that bag is cold because it’s been sitting out, so I take it back (to the warmer),” Ortiz said.

Ortiz will remain in custody until his trial. He is facing indictment for four patients who suffered complications from surgeries in August, despite more than 10 patients being identified in the IV incidents.