Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press; 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020 - Thursday, September 18, 1997; 10:02 p.m. EDT
There is no way to tell if dosages for patients were drawn from the vials of Demerol, Dilaudid and morphine that had been opened or tampered with at Twin Oaks Hospital, the facility's chief executive officer Steve Altmiller said Thursday.
The hospital is notifying patients it treated between July 11 and Aug. 13, he said.
The nurse passed a drug screening test before starting work in July. He resigned three weeks later, telling hospital officials he had participated in a drug-treatment program, Altmiller said.
After his resignation, officials determined that some narcotics at the hospital had been opened or tampered with in the same three weeks the nurse had worked there.
Under Texas law, HIV infection is not a reason to deny employment to licensed nurses as long as they are not engaged in procedures that are likely to expose others to the virus.
Altmiller said state law prohibited him from releasing the name of the nurse.
Copyright 1997/The Associated Press. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.
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Copyright © 1997 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
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