An Oregon nurse has been charged with substituting non-sterile tap water for the fentanyl that patients received via intravenous drips.
According to Oregon Live, out of the 44 patients who were allegedly impacted by Dani Marie Schofield's purported activities, sixteen passed away—the majority while they were still in the hospital and some after being released. According to the AP, all of the patients implicated were receiving treatment in the critical care unit of the Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford when the alleged swap occurred, making them all exposed. On Friday, 36-year-old Schofield entered a not guilty plea to 44 charges of second-degree assault.
Hospital staff reported to police in December that they were concerned someone had been "diverting" fentanyl and causing the infections, which occurred between July 2022 and July 2023. The spike in central line infections is caused when a germ enters through a central line used to administer medication.
According to the prosecution, Schofield, who left the hospital in July 2023, took the fentanyl—an opioid that doctors give to patients to relieve their pain—for her own use. Because detectives were unable to establish that the patients' illnesses were the cause of their deaths, she was not prosecuted for murder, manslaughter, or criminally negligent homicide. Additionally, the estate of a man who passed away at the hospital in January 2022 has filed a legal lawsuit against Schofield.
According to Oregon Live, out of the 44 patients who were allegedly impacted by Dani Marie Schofield's purported activities, sixteen passed away—the majority while they were still in the hospital and some after being released. According to the AP, all of the patients implicated were receiving treatment in the critical care unit of the Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford when the alleged swap occurred, making them all exposed. On Friday, 36-year-old Schofield entered a not guilty plea to 44 charges of second-degree assault.
Hospital staff reported to police in December that they were concerned someone had been "diverting" fentanyl and causing the infections, which occurred between July 2022 and July 2023. The spike in central line infections is caused when a germ enters through a central line used to administer medication.
According to the prosecution, Schofield, who left the hospital in July 2023, took the fentanyl—an opioid that doctors give to patients to relieve their pain—for her own use. Because detectives were unable to establish that the patients' illnesses were the cause of their deaths, she was not prosecuted for murder, manslaughter, or criminally negligent homicide. Additionally, the estate of a man who passed away at the hospital in January 2022 has filed a legal lawsuit against Schofield.
