[ad_1]
An Ohio doctor accused of ordering excessive and potentially life-threatening doses of opioids to dozens of near-death patients is facing numerous murder charges, prosecutors said Wednesday.
William Husel voluntarily surrendered to the authorities and was charged with 25 deaths as a result of a six-month investigation by the Franklin County Attorney's Office. The patient's deaths uncovered a staggering case of medical surveillance and alleged medical malpractice, and questioned the fact that repeated failures, potentially involving 30 or more employees, may not have been controlled for so long.
The 43-year-old Husel was employed by the Mount Carmel Health System, one of the largest in central Ohio, from 2015 to 2018. He was first suspended on Nov. 21 and then fired two weeks later.
Mount Carmel Health System did not immediately comment on Husel's arrest.
The hospital first revealed the details of the case on January 14, after Franklin County prosecutors and the Columbus police began questioning dozens of witnesses and reviewing medical records. Prosecutors and police said they were investigating the deaths of at least 29 patients who had high doses of fentanyl administered to hasten their end.
The Ohio State Medical Board suspended the ICU physician's license at the end of January, claiming that his decision was based on his "failure to meet acceptable standards for selecting board investigations." . "
Husel received a hearing in July to appeal the medical board's decision. Greg Foliano, a Husel lawyer, could not be reached immediately for comment.
He faces at least 19 wrongful death suits in this case, while eight others have been settled, according to May reports.
In a lawsuit, a family lawyer from Melissa Penix, an 82-year-old woman who traveled to Mount Carmel West for stomach pains in November, said she had been given 2,000 micrograms of fentanyl about five minutes before his death.
The complaint stated that Husel had told the family before her death that she was brain dead and had encouraged her to agree to terminate her care.
In other cases, doses greater than 500 micrograms of fentanyl have been administered to patients.
The lawyers say that up to 100 micrograms of synthetic opioid would be normal for a patient, depending on their size and circumstances. Fentanyl is usually stored in bottles of 50 micrograms.
The Mount Carmel health system and some pharmacists and nurses are also mentioned. What remains uncertain is how Husel could bypass the apparent rules that would require him to order medications through an internal pharmacy team, then to convince a nurse to # 39; administer.
Husel's wife, Mariah Baird, has also been quoted in at least one of the lawsuits for administering 800 micrograms of pain medication to a 65-year-old woman who died in 2015. The lawsuit says that & # 39; She is an employee of the hospital.
The majority of patients died at Mount Carmel's primary care hospital, called Mount Carmel West in Columbus, although at least one case occurred at Mount Carmel St. Ann Hospital & # 39; 39; s in Westerville.
Hospital officials said earlier this year that 30 employees, including nurses and pharmacists, had been on leave, while 18 others with ties to the case were no longer working in the hospital. country – a number of them having already left in previous years. Officials said they would be "open and honest about what happened" and put in place protective mechanisms to prevent this from happening again.
The hospital pharmacy manager, Janet Whittey, who was named in the Penix trial, left early February. Calls to his home for comment went unanswered.
[ad_2]
Source link