Kristen Diane Parker, a former surgery technician, exchanged her own dirty syringes for good ones containing a painkiller called Fentanyl. Parker’s action has placed thousands of patients to hepatitis C.

Parker was working for the Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center in Colorado Springs and Rose Medical Center in Denver. Parker told police she injected herself using syringes containing Fentanyl and replaced the empty places with used syringes containing saline solution.

Parker had been working from Rose Medical Center from Oct 21 2008 – April 13 2009. Parker was suspended and then fired. Parker was first found to have violated the rules when she tested positive for Fentanyl. From Rose, Parker went to work for Audubon from May 4 until June 29.

Parker may be tried for tampering with a consumer product. A conviction carried a maximum of 10 years in prison and may carry a fine of $250,000.

Thousands of patients may have been exposed to hepatitis C. From Rose Medical Center, 9 patients have tested positive for hepatitis C. This disease is treatable but not curable. Hepatitis C patients may experience liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Symptoms of hepatitis C sufferers include diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, pain and jaundice.