Nashville hospital potassium mix-up leaves joint-surgery patients paralyzed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A medication mix-up at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown left patients with catastrophic injuries after what were supposed to be routine outpatient joint replacements, CBS News, WSMV, and NewsChannel 5 reported.

The error happened Friday, Aug. 14. Local reporting said four patients received potassium instead of standard pain drugs during joint replacement operations. Families told NewsChannel 5 that two patients were left paralyzed and that one remained in intensive care.

One patient is 72-year-old Glenda Dorton of Centerville. Her attorney, Mark Walwyn, told CBS News the knee replacement itself went well, but the mix-up left her paralyzed with a prognosis he called unclear but dire. Family members told WSMV the epidural intended for pain control was filled with potassium chloride instead of bupivacaine. Daughter-in-law Kristina Buell said Dorton woke itchy and burning and could not feel her legs. Relatives say she is now paralyzed from the chest down.

Hospital president and CEO Dr. Shubhada Jagasia said the facility learned of the event the same day, self-reported to state regulators, identified a cause, and put corrective safeguards in place. She did not detail the cause or the new protocols in public statements. Jagasia said clinical teams are using enhanced safety steps and that staff have met with affected families.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told CBS News it is investigating after the Tennessee Healthcare Facilities Commission flagged the case. Surgeon Matthew Byrnes, speaking generally and not about this hospital's care, told WSMV that potassium chloride used incorrectly can damage tissue and that pushing it into the spine is especially dangerous. Investigators have not released a final public finding on how the wrong drug reached the patients.