Nurse Under Investigation Allegedly Killing Ten Patients in US
A nurse at an Oregon hospital is under investigation for allegedly substituting fentanyl intravenous drips with tap water, resulting in the deaths of ten patients, according to reports from the New York Post.
Last month, concerns about medication theft were raised at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, prompting an investigation by local authorities. Conflicting reports regarding the number of fatalities emerged from various hospital sources, with some citing nine deaths and others indicating a total of ten.
Multiple sources suggested that the implicated nurse administered non-sterile tap water to patients, concealing the misuse of the hospital’s pain medication, particularly fentanyl. The substitution is believed to have affected patients since at least the fall of 2022, as reported by the Rogue Valley Times.
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Families of two deceased patients, Samuel Allison (36) and Barry Samsten (74), were informed by hospital officials that the deaths resulted from infections due to the substitution of their pain medication with non-sterile tap water.
Medford police Lt. Geoff Kirkpatrick expressed concern over potential adverse patient care resulting from such behavior, although the full extent of its impact is yet to be determined. He refrained from confirming a direct link between deaths and medication theft, emphasizing an ongoing investigation into potential adverse patient outcomes.
The police department has notified affected patients of the medication swap but has not disclosed the exact number of deaths or individuals impacted.
In response to the allegations, the hospital issued a statement expressing distress over the issue and affirmed collaboration with law enforcement.
On Wednesday, the Oregon Health Authority acknowledged an investigation focusing on “reports that the incidents led to health care-associated infections that severely injured, and may have caused the deaths of, several patients.” Whether any arrests have been made in connection to the incident remains unclear.
