Patients Harmed Before Routine Surgeries
Four joint replacement patients at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville were harmed after a medication error before surgery, according to reports and hospital statements. The patients were supposed to receive mepivacaine, an anesthetic medication. Instead, the hospital said they received potassium phosphate. Reports say multiple patients went into cardiac arrest after the mix-up. Two patients are reportedly paralyzed, and one is on a ventilator. This is a grave situation for the patients and their families, and the first concern should be their care, recovery, and answers about how this happened.
Hospital Says Error Happened Inside Pharmacy
Ascension Saint Thomas said the error happened Friday, Aug. 14, inside the hospital’s in-house pharmacy. The hospital said the four patients “experienced adverse health reactions and received immediate medical care.” CBS reported that too much potassium given too quickly can stop a person’s heart. The hospital has said a comprehensive review confirmed no other patients were affected. In a statement, Ascension Saint Thomas said, “Our hearts remain entirely with the four patients and families impacted by the recent event at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown,” and added, “On behalf of our leadership and care teams, we extend our deepest apologies for the harm caused.”
Family Identifies One Patient
FOX 17 News reported that it spoke with the family of 72-year-old Glenda Dorton, who said she went to Saint Thomas Midtown on Aug. 14 for a routine knee replacement and was one of the patients impacted. For any patient, surgery already requires trust. For a family, a routine procedure turning into a life-altering medical crisis is devastating. The hospital’s apology is now only one part of the larger matter. The public will be watching for clear answers about safeguards, labeling, pharmacy handling, and how the wrong medication reached patients before surgery.
State Investigators Are Now Involved
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now involved in the case, according to the report. That step matters because an internal review alone may not satisfy families or the public when the consequences are this severe. Hospitals often speak in careful language after serious mistakes, but patients and families need more than polished statements. They need facts, records, and accountability from the systems that failed them. A medication error in a hospital pharmacy is not a paperwork typo. It can change lives in seconds.
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