“Investigators have been diligently working on this case since December 2023,” the statement read. “Many interviews have been conducted, with many more to come. Many thousands of documents, including medical records, are being carefully reviewed and consulted with medical experts.
The wrongful death lawsuit claims that Asante began telling patients or their families in December that a nurse had swapped fentanyl with tap water, causing bacterial infections.
Wilson's family was not approached by Idiart, but they thought Wilson was a victim after hearing about drug diversion. Asante couldn't explain what was going on, and the family noticed “reactions like he was in pain, even though he was supposed to be sedated a lot of that time,” Idiart added.
Schofield was instructed to link sachets of fentanyl to a programmable pump that supplied the drug to Wilson through a central line during Wilson's stay, according to the lawsuit.
Medication is administered through central lines in big veins. If the line is improperly inserted or cleansed, or the fluid isn't sterile, bacteria and other organisms can enter the bloodstream. Tap water can infect the bloodstream if a germ enters. Hospitals deliver sterile bags of saline intravenously for dehydration and other conditions.
Schofield indicated in Wilson's chart “on several dates” that he received fentanyl despite the bag containing water, the lawsuit claims. Wilson developed multisystem organ failure during hospitalization, according to the complaint. His tracheostomy was used.
Two other lawyers told NBC News that clients worried about drug diversion impacting them or their families. Lawyers are reviewing those accounts but have not sued. According to southern Oregon attorney David deVilleneuve, some families worry that their loved ones may have survived with proper care. He said pain medicine shortages made patients anxious, compounding their grief.
"It's different mourning and grieving with ‘My loved one died of natural causes' versus ‘My wife was killed, or negligently killed,’" deVilleneuve said.
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