Drug-swapping nurse tests negative for HIV

BOULDER - The former surgical nurse at Boulder Community Hospital who admitted using dirty needles to steal painkillers from patients has tested negative in a series of HIV and hepatitis tests.

The sentencing for Ashton Paul Daigle was postponed last month as federal prosecutors waited for the results of drug testing.

Daigle admitted he stole the drug Fentanyl to feed a years-long painkiller addiction, at times using dirty needles to replace the drug with saline solution or tap water.

The nurse was so prolific in his thefts that, on occasions, he would try to steal more of the drug, only to find he had completely depleted the surgical suite's supply.

Approximately 300 BCH patients were notified they could have been affected. Many of those patients are expected to testify at Daigle's sentencing in February.

Daigle pleaded guilty to six felony charges after being charged with more than 100 counts by federal prosecutors.

The results of the HIV and hepatitis testing, released by BCH on Thursday, reflect the last in a series of three rounds of testing.

"Our goal was to determine if our patients had been exposed to HIV or hepatitis because of Mr. Daigle's drug diversion," BCH Chief Quality Officer Michael Moran said in a written statement. "We now know they were not exposed.

Prosecutors referred questions about the testing to the hospital's release of information.

After the incident, the hospital said it improved its drug security.