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Four patients went to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville on August 14, 2026, to have joint replacement procedures. But what should have been routine surgeries ended in catastrophe after a pharmacy error.
The patients should have received anesthetic medication and instead were administered potassium phosphate, which caused serious complications. One patient wound up paralyzed from the sternum down. The mix-up left many questioning how something like this could happen.
Glenda Dorton became paralyzed due to the mix-up.
Her daughter-in-law, Kristina Dorton, told Fox 17 that the 72-year-old from Centerville, Tennessee, loved to garden and stayed active before her surgery. She reportedly went to the hospital for a routine knee replacement and had medication administered via an epidural. When she awoke, she had no feeling from the sternum down and was diagnosed with T-6 paralysis.
Doctors tried to reverse the effects of the medication.
Instead of receiving mepivacaine, the pharmacy reportedly dispensed potassium phosphate. Glenda Dorton had an immediate serious adverse reaction, and emergency crews rushed her to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West, where she was placed on a ventilator, and doctors drained spinal fluid to remove excess potassium, per Fox 17.
Kristina Dorton told the news station her family does not blame the doctors or Glenda Dorton’s care team, but they never want something like this to happen to another family.
“We’re not looking to ruin somebody’s life,” she said. “They need to figure it out, so it never happens.”
Dr. Shubhada Jagasia, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown, shared a statement with Fox 17 regarding the incident.
“Our hearts are with the four patients and their families impacted by this event,” Dr. Jagasia said. “On behalf of our leadership and care teams, I am deeply sorry for the harm caused to our patients.”
Ascension shared an update about policy changes following the terrible mix-up.
The hospital acknowledged the error in a news release stating four patients received the incorrect medication.
“Our hearts remain entirely with the four patients and families impacted by the recent event at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown. On behalf of our leadership and care teams, we extend our deepest apologies for the harm caused. Our clinical teams continue to provide dedicated care to these four individuals, and we are offering our full support and spiritual care resources to their loved ones,” the hospital shared.
The hospital stated that it implemented isolated medical storage, mandatory hard-stop and escatklauint, and independent dual verification policies to ensure this kind of mistake never happens again.
“Following our self-report, Ascension Saint Thomas continues to collaborate with state and federal officials to ensure a safe environment for our patients. Additionally, we have engaged independent, third-party quality experts to review and validate our mitigation plans,” the hospital shared.
“Providing safe, high-quality, patient-centered care is at the core of our mission. Any gap in meeting that standard receives our immediate, uncompromising attention. We remain steadfastly committed to supporting those affected and upholding safety standards for every person who trusts us with their care.”
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