A 72-year-old woman is now paralyzed following a medication error at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown. Glenda Dorton entered the facility for a routine knee replacement on August 14. Her family reports that she received an injection of potassium chloride instead of the intended anesthetic during an epidural procedure.
Potassium chloride is dangerous when administered incorrectly. The hospital confirmed that this incident affected four patients in total. Surgeons halted operations after staff observed that other patients experienced similar adverse reactions during joint procedures that same day.
Following the mistake, Dorton woke up with no sensation or mobility from her sternum down. Doctors at a separate facility diagnosed her with T6 paralysis and attempted to mitigate the damage with steroids and spinal fluid drainage. Her family remains at her side as they wait for more information regarding the hospital’s investigation.
Dr. Shubhada Jagasia, CEO of the hospital, issued an apology and confirmed the facility self-reported the error to state regulators. She stated that leadership met with affected families and implemented new safety protocols to prevent future incidents. The family noted they are not interested in assigning blame to individual staff members but want to ensure the cause is identified to protect other patients.