Two Paralyzed After Hospital Injected Patients With Same Drug Used In Executions

At least two women remain paralyzed and two others were injured after a pharmacy error led to all four being injected with the wrong drug prior to planned surgeries.

All four patients, according to Fox News Digital, were being prepared for joint replacement at Nashville’s Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown when a pharmacy error led to potassium being injected into their spines instead of the anesthetic they were supposed to receive.

Kristina Dorton says her mother-in-law, Glenda Dorton, 72, was paralyzed and has no feeling from her chest down after the injection — and that she knew something was wrong as soon as 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.”

According to the family, the knee replacement surgery was a success — but the complications resulting from receiving the wrong medication is going to have lasting impact.

“The joint replacement went wonderful. Her knee is great. The rest of her is not,” she told WKRN-TV, “It was supposed to be the anesthetic. It was supposed to be bupivacaine, and it was potassium, and we don’t know what quantity … We don’t know what recovery looks like or if there is recovery.”

“This is life-changing. You don’t come out of this without some type of life-altering, catastrophic deficit,” Dorton added, saying that nothing the doctors have tried so far has worked.

Dr. Shubhada Jagasia, president and CEO of the hospital, released an official statement following the tragic mishap.

“Our hearts are with the four patients and their families impacted by this event. On behalf of our leadership and care teams, I am deeply sorry for the harm caused to our patients,” she said. “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.”

“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 day of the event, we self-reported to state regulators and launched a thorough investigation. We identified the cause and have implemented corrective safeguards,” she added.

Citing patient privacy concerns, the hospital has not provided any details about the conditions of the three other patients affected — including the second woman reported to be paralyzed.

The Tennessee Health Facilities Commission’s investigating the hospital, as is the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.