CONCORD, N.H.A traveling hospital technician accused of infecting dozens of patients with hepatitis C through needles tainted with his own blood reached an agreement with prosecutors that would give him a sentence of as little as 30 years instead of the nearly 100 he could have faced if convicted in a trial.
The agreement, filed Monday, also contained new revelations that he was fired from two Michigan hospitals and resigned from two others before beginning his traveling temp career.
David Kwiatkowski, who has been jailed since his arrest in July 2012, is accused of stealing painkiller syringes from Exeter Hospital's cardiac catheterization lab in New Hampshire and replacing them with blood-tainted saline. He told investigators he had been stealing drugs for more than a decade and was "killing a lot of people," according to the plea agreement filed Monday.
If convicted at trial, he could have been sentenced to up to 98 years behind bars. He agreed to plead guilty to 14 federal drug theft and tampering charges he faced in exchange for a lighter sentence of 30 to 40 years in prison.
Kwiatkowski's attorneys did not immediately respond to emails or a phone message left at their office Monday night. A hearing on the plea agreement is set for Wednesday.
Linda Ficken, of Andover, Kan., is among those Kwiatkowski is accused of infecting. Ficken, 71, said Monday she's glad he pleaded guilty but wishes the sentence were longer.
"It should've been life, since he gave us potentially a death sentence," she said.
More than a year after Kwiatkowski's arrest, Ficken said, she is still angry at Kwiatkowski and at the system that let him move from job to job after he was fired over allegations of drug use and theft.
Thirty-two patients in New Hampshire have been diagnosed with the strain of hepatitis C carried by Kwiatkowski, who worked at 18 hospitals in seven states before being hired in New Hampshire in 2011. There have been seven cases in Maryland, six in Kansas and one in Pennsylvania.
One of the Kansas patients has died, and hepatitis C, a blood-borne viral infection that can cause liver disease and chronic health issues, played a "contributing role," the plea agreement said.
The plea agreement includes details of an interview Kwiatkowski gave investigators in New Hampshire after his arrest in which he said he knew he'd been diagnosed in 2010 but continued to "swap out" syringes of the painkiller fentanyl.
He said he had been stealing drugs since 2002 and estimated that he had swapped syringes at least 50 times in New Hampshire, at least 30 times in Georgia and more than 20 times in Kansas. Under the plea deal, Kwiatkowski would avoid criminal charges in the latter two states.
After Kwiatkowski's arrest, two of his previous employers confirmed that he had been fired over drug allegations. But several new incidents emerged in Monday's court filing.
AP: Lab tech's arrest in hepatitis C outbreak shows flaws in system Lab tech accused in hep C outbreak fired by Ariz. hospital in 2010 over drugs 95 patients infected with hepatitis C linked to Chinese clinic According to the plea agreement, Kwiatkowski was fired from a Michigan hospital in 2004 after failing a drug test and was fired from another that year for gross misconduct. He resigned from two more Michigan hospitals while under investigation for drug use.
Kwiatkowski, who grew up in Michigan, later began work as a traveler sent by staffing agencies to hospitals around the country, usually for temporary jobs. In announcing federal drug charges last year, U.S. Attorney John Kacavas called him a "serial infector."
A typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, though recent research suggests pregnancy time may vary up to five weeks from a woman's expected due date.
The new study "is a great example of how computer models can help identify and analyze an individual's risk," Don Morris, vice president of scientific product technology development at Archimedes Inc., a subsidiary of Kaiser Permanente, said to HealthDay. "This information can be used today to help with better identification of people at risk so they can be treated proactively, for example, by more careful monitoring and control of blood pressure and cholesterol." Morris was not involved in the research.
Researchers looked at data from the North Carolina Detailed Birth Record and Education Research databases, which included 625,042 live births linked with school records. Of the group, 5,500 children had been diagnosed with autism. 
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But some experts question the main rationale for the bans, saying there's not good medical evidence that cigarette smoke outdoors can harm the health of children and other passers-by.
"We only get involved where there's a real health risk," said Flory Doucas, co-director of Canada's Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 18 percent of adults in the U.S smoked cigarettes in 2012 a rate that has declined from previous years.
The CDC reports that people who quit smoking reduce their risks for lung and other types of cancer, as well as loer their risk for heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. People see a significant coronary heart disease risk decrease within one to two years of quitting. 
Cyclosporiasis is caused by a cyclospora parasite found in contaminated food or drinking water.
"Not being able to analyze the genomic sequence of a microbe in real time is like trying to solve a crime without using fingerprints," he said.
"It is common for children to put things in their mouth and nose, but the risk of intestinal damage increases dramatically when multiple magnets are swallowed," lead study author Dr. Jonathan Silverman, from the department of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., said in a press release. "The magnets in question were typically those found in kitchen gadgets or desk toys marketed to adults but irresistible to children." 
Sherry Young, a 38-year-old woman from suburban Washington D.C., was born with a partial tibia on her right leg. After two fractures, it became extremely painful and wasn't healing. For the past year, she's had to use crutches to walk. She had to either amputate or go through reconstructive surgery.
Researchers looking at risk factors for why military members may take their own lives have found that having a prior mental health disorder or being a male increased suicide risk. Where the solider was deployed or whether the person was in combat, however, were not associated with raised risk.
He also points out the study did not compare civilian and military populations. But, the findings suggest some of the major risks of military suicide could be prevented with evidence-based treatments, he said.
"Although obesity remains epidemic, the tide has begun to turn for some kids in some states," CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden, said in a statement. "While the changes are small, for the first time in a generation they are going in the right direction."
Recent guidelines released by the American Academy of Neurology affirm youth athletes tend to take longer to recover from concussions than college athletes. A more conservative approach is now recommended when dealing with a kid who suffered a head injury. Those guidelines urge: "If in doubt, sit it out."
Dr. James Andrews -- an American orthopedic surgeon renowned for his work as a sports surgeon on high-profile athletes -- also weighed in on the report. He brought attention to parents and coaches that he frequently sees overuse in young athletes who have injuries, especially in baseball players who throw too hard or too much without rest.