Teen who was left fighting for his life when anesthesiologist 'tampered with his IV bag during revenge mission against clinic' tells trial he thought he was going to die when he foamed at the mouth and went into cardiac arrest

A teenager whose IV bag was allegedly poisoned by a rogue anesthesiologist on a revenge mission was left fighting for his life and foaming at the mouth.

Jack Alderstein, who was 18 at the time of the incident, went into cardiac arrest during routine nose surgery at Baylor Scott and White SurgiCare in August 2022.

Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., 61, went on trial on Wednesday accused of tainting IV bags with dangerous drugs at the hospital in Dallas, Texas.

Alderstein, now 19, said that he thought he was going to die

Eleven patients are alleged to have suffered cardiac arrest after having been administered bags that were tainted by Dr. Ortiz. 

Dr. Ortiz was allegedly driven to poison the IV bags out of a desire to take revenge against the hospital, which was subjecting him to a disciplinary investigation over his poor performance. 

Jack Alderstein, 19, testified on Wednesday about how he thought he was going to die after his IV bag was allegedly tainted by Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., 61

Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., has been accused of poisoning the IV bags of several other patients at Baylor Scott and White SurgiCare in Dallas, Texas

The 19-year-old recounted how he woke up 36 hours after his surgery in the ICU, feeling 'out of it,' and believing he was going to die.

Alderstein's surgeon, Dr. Thomas Hung, also testified on Wednesday afternoon, explaining to the jury how a routine surgery - one he'd performed innumerable times - took a dramatic turn for the worse. 

The teenager's surgery was for his broken nose, an injury he'd sustained in a motorbike accident, and was only supposed to last two hours.

Dr. Hung testified that after a fresh IV bag was administered mid-surgery, Alderstein started foaming at the mouth. 

The surgeon also said that there were also grave complications of excessive bleeding and extreme blood pressure.

At that point, Dr. Hung testified, another doctor entered the room and recommended swapping out IV bags, based on an accident a week earlier.

A minute after the new IV bag had been administered, Dr. Hung said that the patient's condition stabilized.

Alderstein's mother also testified and said that once her son had recovered from the initial operation, he returned to Baylor Scott and White SurgiCare to finish the surgery.

Dr. Ortiz was filmed taking drugs out of the medicine cabinet, taking a bag out of the warmer, and then coming back and putting a bag into the warmer - where prosecutors said the poisoned bags were regularly kept

Alderstein, seen here leaving the Dallas courtroom on Wednesday in the company of his family, was supposed to undergo a routine nose surgery, before Dr. Ortiz allegedly tainted his IV bag

Mrs. Adelstein told the court how she had made the nurse show her that the IV bag had been under lock and key.

Dr. Ortiz's lawyers mentioned that the teenager had previously been diagnosed with high blood pressure, but Dr. Hung insisted that Alderstein's medications didn't raise any alarms before the surgery. Mrs. Alderstein also noted that the teenager's high blood pressure had not been a concern.

The husband of an anesthesiologist who died after using an IV bag allegedly tainted by Dr. Ortiz also testified on Wednesday.

John Kaspar told jurors how his late wife, Dr. Melanie Kaspar, 55, returned home from work at Baylor Scott and White Surgicare in June 2022 feeling poorly.

She had taken home an IV bag and asked her husband to help her administer it.

John Kaspar testified that five minutes later, his wife started screaming at him to call an ambulance.

He told the court that his biggest regret was not immediately ripping the IV bag out.

A Baylor Scott and White nurse also testified, recounting an incident that had involved a 17-year-old girl's surgery in July 2022.

Melanie Kaspar's Dallas home where she died in June 2022, after administering herself with an IV bag - on of the incidents that sparked the investigation. If convicted, he faces life in federal prison

Dr. Melanie Kaspar, 55, an anesthesiologist at the hospital, died from cardiac arrest minutes after administering herself with an IV bag she had taken home from work after feeling dehydrated 

The nurse explained how the surgery was going well until the girl was administered a new IV bag before being wheeled to the recovery room.

Minutes later, the nurse said, the girl began foaming at the mouth, and she turned gray.

The nurse said that the 17-year-old's oxygen levels also dropped, but she managed to survive.

Dr. Ortiz has had his medical license revoked, and if he is convicted, he faces life in prison. 

The trial is scheduled to go into next week.