BOULDER, Colo.—Federal authorities say a nurse at a Boulder hospital replaced painkillers with saltwater, possibly affecting as many as 350 surgical patients.
U.S. Attorney for Colorado Troy Eid says 27-year-old Ashton Paul Daigle of Lafayette has been arrested by federal agents on charges of tampering with a consumer product and creating a counterfeit controlled substance.
An indictment announced Wednesday alleges Daigle replaced the narcotic Fentanyl with saline solution. The indictment says he regularly accessed the medication between Sept. 24 and Oct. 24.
Investigators say Daigle used the drug and they’re trying to determine whether he sold it.
The hospital began investigating after anesthesiologists say patients reacted as if they had not received adequate painkiller. Hospital spokesman Rich Sheehan says patients showing signs of discomfort would receive additional painkillers.
