SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Police in San Luis Obispo, Calif., are investigating a case in which a patient's life support may have been cut off to accommodate organ harvesting.
Detectives and the Medical Board of California are looking into the conduct of Dr. Hootan Roozrokh, who allegedly ordered excessive does of pain medication for an unresponsive 26-year-old patient, The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
Roozrokh is a transplant surgeon and, under state law, cannot direct the treatment of potential organ donors before they are declared dead.
The patient did not die at the Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center for hours after the alleged drug administration and his organs were not harvested, the report said.
Medical board spokeswoman Candis Cohen told the Times her agency is investigating the conduct of a second physician present during the incident and a nurse who was present has been placed on administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
