Ten patients died at an Oregon hospital after a nurse allegedly replaced fentanyl intravenous drips with tap water, after a nurse allegedly replaced fentanyl intravenous drips with tap water, the New York Post reported.
Officials from Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford reported to the police early last month, suspecting that a former employee had stolen medication. Various sources at the hospital, according to local media, indicated conflicting numbers regarding deaths related to infections—some claimed nine, while others stated a total of 10 fatalities.
Multiple informants also alleged that the nurse in question had administered non-sterile tap water to patients, masking the misuse of the hospital’s pain medication, particularly fentanyl. The purported substitution had reportedly been impacting patients since at least the fall of 2022, according to the Rogue Valley Times.
Families of two patients who died, 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, as per the report.
Medford police Lt Geoff Kirkpatrick stated, “There was concern that this behaviour resulted in adverse patient care, though the extent of the impact on those patients is yet to be determined.” Kirkpatrick refrained from confirming whether the deaths were directly linked to medication theft or tampering, emphasising an ongoing investigation into potential adverse patient outcomes.
The police department has informed affected patients of the medication swap but has not disclosed the exact number of deaths or individuals impacted. The hospital expressed distress over the issue and affirmed their collaboration with law enforcement in a statement.
The Oregon Health Authority acknowledged an investigation on Wednesday, 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.