Troy Allison's death and at least 33 others involving Mount Carmel patients from
2015 to 2018 remain part of a wider internal investigation into Dr. William
Husel, who treated them, and why the intensive care doctor allegedly ordered
"significantly excessive and potentially fatal" doses of pain
medication in 28 of the cases, according to the hospital.
Husel's medical license was suspended Friday by the State
Medical Board of Ohio, which said the allegations against him were so serious
that he was not afforded a hearing prior to the board's vote and can no longer
practice medicine in the state.
Yet, key questions remain unanswered: Why such high doses,
and were they the result of repeated mistakes — or intentionally meant to be
deadly?
Doctors, pharmacists and lawyers who spoke with NBC News say
hospitals such as Mount Carmel, one of the largest health systems in Ohio, have
multiple safeguards in place that should prevent patients from being
overmedicated to death. There are checks and balances allowing those in the
chain of command to trigger an alarm, the medical experts added, so that an
error can be avoided or reviewed after the fact, including during emergency
situations in which dangerous drugs such as fentanyl are used.Related
"We know that the risk for error goes up in chaotic
situations, but hospitals have worked hard to limit these risks and do a very
good job protecting safety in fast-paced environments like the emergency room
or intensive care unit," said Dr. Daniel Tobin, an associate professor of
medicine at Yale University and a leading expert on opioid safety.
At least six wrongful death lawsuits have been filed on
behalf of deceased patients, including Troy Allison, alleging Husel ordered the
doses either negligently or purposefully in order to hasten the end of their
lives.
All Christine Allison knows is that her husband of 11 years,
her best friend and a father of two, was taken from her — and she wants Husel
to explain why.
"He actually seemed very kind and very compassionate. I
trusted him," she said of the doctor. "Now I think he needs to be in
prison. The system failed."
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