By admin 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) — A 72-year-old woman was paralyzed and at least three other patients were harmed after a medication mix-up at a hospital in Tennessee.
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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.
At least four patients affected
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.
Hospital says it reported the situation to state regulators
The hospital said it reported the situation to state regulators on the day it happened and immediately launched an investigation.
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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.”
The hospital’s clinical teams said they are following enhanced safety protocols in the wake of the mix-up.
“We remain committed to supporting those affected and upholding the highest standards of safety for every person who trusts us with their care,” Jagasia said.
The hospital has not publicly released the specific cause of the medication mix-up or explained how the wrong drug was administered to the patients.
The Tennessee Health Facilities Commission said it has received complaints and is investigating at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed it is also investigating.
Doctor weighs in on adverse effects of potassium chloride
Potassium chloride can be extremely dangerous when administered incorrectly. It has also been used as part of Tennessee’s lethal-injection protocol in the past, although the state now uses a different drug for executions.
Dr. Matthew Byrnes, a surgeon at Catalina Island Health in California who has no connection to the situation in Tennessee, said patients are sometimes given potassium chloride to steady their heart rhythm, but it has to be administered as a slow drip to prevent complications.
“You can’t go any faster than that, or it would cause cardiac problems. And if the potassium was to get out of the vein, then you could chew up the tissue around it. So, infusing it straight into the spine, you can imagine it destroying the spinal cord,” Byrnes said.
Byrnes said hospitals should follow standard protocols to prevent this from happening, including labeling every medication prior to surgery.
“If you didn’t have it labeled, you wouldn’t know the difference between 95% of medications. They all look like water. There’s one that looks like milk. There are a few with a yellow tint,” Byrnes said. “You have to look at the details closely and look at what you’re infusing before you put it in. The last person standing has the ultimate responsibility.”
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