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Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital apologizes for lethal medication error
Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville has issued a public apology following a severe pharmacy error that occurred on 14 August 2026. The hospital admitted that four patients undergoing routine joint replacement surgeries were mistakenly administered potassium phosphate instead of an anaesthetic.
The error resulted in catastrophic injuries for the patients. One 72-year-old woman, Glenda Dorton, was left paralysed from the chest down, while another patient required a ventilator. Medical specialists noted that injecting potassium salts into the spinal space can directly attack nerve tissue.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and state health regulators have launched inquiries into the incident to determine how the error occurred within the hospital pharmacy.
Entities
Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown · Glenda Dorton · Nashville · Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Glenda Dorton, a 72-year-old patient, was left paralysed from the chest down. www.ibtimes.co.uk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A medication error occurred on 14 August 2026, where four joint-replacement patients received potassium phosphate instead of an anaesthetic. www.ibtimes.co.uk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A second patient was placed on a ventilator following the medication error. www.ibtimes.co.uk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and state health regulators have opened inquiries into the incident. www.ibtimes.co.uk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The hospital issued a public apology regarding the incident. www.ibtimes.co.uk