It was a day of experts at the trail of an Air Force nurse accused of killing three end-of-life patients at Wilford Hall.
The prosecution says Capt. Michael Fontana failed to follow doctors’ orders and gave patients excessive doses of morphine and fentanyl, a painkiller.
Friday, the defense called Dr. Robert l. Fine, MD, a renowned expert in hospice care, to the stand
He testified in the death of Silvestra Orosco, 83, the medication "was not the cause of his death.”
In the case of Ordie Despain, 87,he also testified the medication given by Fontana "did not cause his death."
In addition, Dr. Fine testified the morphine Fontana gave Dorothy Gray, 74, "did not cause her death"
The prosecution's expert, Maj. (Dr.) Pedro Lucero disagreed.
He testified that the "enormous amount of morphine" Fontana gave Gray did cause her death.
He said, "There was nothing else there that lead to her death, according to her chart."
Which expert the military judge believes could go a long way in determining Fontana's innocence or guilt.
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