An anesthesiologist accused of routinely using the same syringe on multiple patients was cut loose from Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center at the end of September, a hospital spokesperson told the Silicon Valley Newsroom Dec. 10.
What you should know:
1. Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente San Jose stopped working with David Reese Rummel, MD, a year after reporting him to the Medical Board of California based on allegations made by an anesthesiology technician.
2. After the allegations surfaced, hospital administration launched an investigation. Dr. Rummell allegedly admitted that he reused syringes to save money, save time and avoid waste, and contended "that the valve system on the intravenous lines, location of the medication injection point and use of alcohol swabs rendered his practice safe," the medical board said in a complaint filed against him.
3. Dr. Rummel allegedly recanted his initial admissions days after making them to investigators, according to state officials. However, they say he later reasserted that he'd been reusing syringes for decades and would conduct a preoperative follow-up within 24 hours, finding no infections.
4. Kaiser Permanente San Jose has banned the practice of reusing syringes since at least 2004. In 2016, the hospital revised its procedures to explicitly denounce reuse even if the needle or cannula on the syringe is changed.
5. California's medical board is seeking to revoke or suspend Dr. Rummel's license as a result of his alleged syringe reuse, which officials said defies "common knowledge and understanding among anesthesiologists" that the practice is unsafe and outside the standard of care.