Doctor Allegedly Poisoned Boyfriend and Co-worker's Coffee With Ethylene Glycol: How it Works

Cancer researcher Dr. Ana Maria Gonzalez-Angulo, a breast cancer oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, has been accused of aggravated assault in the alleged poisoning of a fellow cancer doctor whom she was dating.

According to court documents, Gonzalez-Angulo and Dr. George Blumenschein were together at a home in Texas when she handed him a cup of coffee laced with ethylene glycol, according to ABC.

Blmenschein, who preferred his coffee black, asked why the coffee was sweet – a result of the antifreeze ingredient. Gonzalez-Angulo said she had put Splenda in it and when he asked for a new cup, she insisted that he finished the first one. However, the second cup was just as sweet.

Four hours later, Blumenschien began experiencing slurred speech, poor balance and loss of fine motor skills. Twelve hours later, he was hospitalized, upon which doctors determined he was experiencing central nervous system depression, cardiopulmonary complications and renal failure.

Court documents further stated that the amount of ethylene glycol Blumenschien consumed could have killed him and that he has since had to undergo dialysis and is still under a doctor’s care.

The executive director of the cancer research center where both Blumenschien and Gonzalez-Angulo work confirmed that the substance is available in all of the center’s labs.

Gonzaelz-Angulo is currently on paid leave and out on bond, having had to turn over her passport.

Her lawyer continues to state that she is innocent, according to Eyewitness News.

Ethylene glycol is an industrial chemical that is both odorless, colorless and capable of lowering the freezing point of water. It kills by first attacking the central nervous system, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. As the body begins to metabolize the chemical, cardiopulmonary symptoms begin to kick in, including a racing heart, high blood pressure and rapid breathing.

As the compound continues to break down in the body, it forms chemicals that crystallize. Those crystals can then collect in the kidney and affect the organ's function, which ultimately may be irreversible and even fatal.