Imagine going in to the hospital for a routine surgery and coming out
paralyzed.
That nightmare scenario is exactly what happened to multiple patients at a hospital in Nashville, TN earlier this month.
At Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown, staff somehow injected several patients who were there to receive joint replacement surgeries with potassium chloride instead of spinal anesthetics.
Four patients in total were affected.
Fox 17 Nashville reported:
The hospital said the error happened Friday, Aug. 14, inside the pharmacy at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown.
According to a statement released Friday, the four patients were supposed to receive mepivacaine, an anesthetic medication. Instead, the hospital said they received potassium phosphate.
“The four patients experienced adverse health reactions and received immediate medical care,” the hospital said.
Ascension Saint Thomas said a comprehensive review confirmed no other patients were affected.
This little ‘mistake’ left at least two of the affected patients paralyzed.
But don’t worry, the hospital says they’re “deeply sorry” and it won’t happen again!
CBS Evening News covered the shocking story further in this clip:
Multiple patients at a Nashville hospital are paralyzed after staff accidentally gave them the wrong drugs.
The hospital says they are "sorry" after injecting potassium chloride into the spines of people getting routine joint replacement surgeries.
Hospital staff noticed…
pic.twitter.com/ZvzDgx2cdN
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg)
August 22, 2026
One of the patients, a 72-year-old woman named Glenda Dorton is still in an intensive care unit following the incident.
Her family spoke to
WAFB:
The family of 72-year-old Glenda Dorton said she went to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville on Friday for a knee replacement.
She was supposed to receive an epidural to help control her pain during the procedure. But the epidural she received was filled with potassium chloride instead of bupivacaine, her family said.
Dorton’s family said that the medication error left Dorton paralyzed from the chest down and that she remains in the intensive care unit.
Her family is now hoping doctors can determine whether any of the damage can be reversed.
Dorton’s daughter-in-law, Kristina Buell, said Dorton knew something was wrong when she woke up.
“She was having a reaction; she was itchy. She said her whole body was burning, and she couldn’t feel her legs,” Buell said.
Buell said Dorton is very active and had been putting off the knee replacement surgery because she did not want the downtime that comes with it.
Buell said the medication mistake has changed their lives.
“We’re hoping that we can give her the care she needs. This is the rest of her life, and she still has a lot of life to live. So, we’re just hoping to make that as good as possible,” Buell said.
Dorton is one of at least four patients who Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown said were impacted by the medication error.
“On behalf of our leadership and care teams, I am deeply sorry for the harm caused to our patients,” hospital president and CEO Dr. Shubhada Jagasia said Tuesday. “We have met directly with each of the families to express our deep support, connected them with spiritual care teams, and ensured they have access to all appropriate resources and ongoing care needed.”
The hospital has not released specific information about the other three patients and what harm they experienced, citing patient privacy.
The hospital said it reported the situation to state regulators on the day it happened and immediately launched an investigation.
Jagasia said that the hospital quickly identified the cause of the mistake and “implemented corrective safeguards.”
“Our hearts are with the four patients and their families impacted by this event,” Jagasia added. “…Providing safe, high-quality care is at the core of everything we do, and any gap in meeting that standard receives our immediate, uncompromising attention.”
How in the world does this type of thing happen?
To give you some additional context, potassium chloride is part of what’s used in lethal injections.
Typically, it comes in a bag, as opposed to a pre-made kit like spinal anesthetic does.
So, it’s not something that is easy to just ‘mix-up’ with a routine anesthetic — at least, it shouldn’t be!
Many folks are questioning if this instance of medical malpractice really was a mistake, or if something more malicious was at foot.
Take a look at a few of these responses:
That doesn’t happen by accident… they have a killer on staff.
— Blondie… The Vanilla Villain (@Calamityjane77)
August 22, 2026
This is a Quality control nightmare, medical malpractice on steroids! The regulatory investigations and lawsuits that follow could shut the hospital down. How the hell did they not check the medication before administering it, not once, yet multiple times?!
— Teagan1776
(@Teagan1776)
August 22, 2026
This is why I don’t go to the doctor unless I’m an inch away from death.
https://t.co/3crdwwTwxf
— The Disrespected Trucker (@DisrespectedThe)
August 22, 2026
“Sorry”
This is why you should stay out of hospitals if you can. Death traps
— Mr_Pendulum_ (@Mr_Pendulum_)
August 22, 2026
Mistake or not, there are no excuses for something like this happening.
The medical system is becoming more and more untrustworthy by the day — and frankly, it’s terrifying.
What are your thoughts?
Continue reading...
[ H/T WLT Report ]
