A second wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the Mount Carmel West doctor accused of administering excessive and fatal doses of fentanyl to more than two-dozen patients.
The suit filed Tuesday says that 64-year old Bonnie Austin of Columbus arrived at the hospital in September 2018 with chest pains and difficulty breathing. It alleges Dr. William Husel told the patient's husband she was brain dead, and that the dose of fentanyl Husel prescribed was "grossly inappropriate".
A similar lawsuit was filed Monday by the estate of 79-year old Janet Kavanuagh, who died at Mount Carmel in December 2017, after the hospital contacted the family.
In a statement on Monday, Mount Carmel Health System says Husel may have administered large doses of the opiod to 27 patients. While the families of the patients involved had asked that life-saving measures be withdrawn, the hospital system says the doseages far exceeded what would normally be given to address pain.
The Franklin County prosecuter and Columbus Police launched investigations in December after Mount Carmel made them aware of the situation.
The Cleveland Clinic is reviewing cases seen by a Husel when he was a supervised resident there, between 2008 and 2013.
