Nashville hospital drug mix-up
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
A 72-year-old Tennessee woman is paralyzed after an alleged drug mix-up at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown. The hospital confirmed a medication error affected four patients, prompting a state investigation.
Background
On August 14, 2026, four patients undergoing routine joint replacement surgeries at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville received potassium phosphate instead of the intended anesthetic mepivacaine, due to a pharmacy error. The hospital self-reported the incident to state regulators, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating. One patient, Glenda Dorton, has been left paralyzed from the chest down, according to her family.
How it unfolded
- Aug 14, 2026Four patients at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown received potassium phosphate instead of mepivacaine during joint replacement surgeries, leading to adverse reactions.
- Aug 18, 2026The hospital acknowledged an unspecified event affecting at least four patients; Glenda Dorton's family was told she has T6 paralysis.
- Aug 19, 2026Family publicly alleges drug mix-up; hospital says it self-reported to state regulators and launched an investigation.
- Aug 21, 2026Hospital confirms medication error in pharmacy, says all four patients had adverse reactions, and that no other patients were affected.
Who’s saying what
- Family
- Glenda Dorton's family says she was given the wrong medication and is now paralyzed; they want the hospital to fix the problem so it never happens again.
- Hospital
- Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown says it is deeply sorry, self-reported to regulators, identified the cause, and implemented corrective safeguards.
- Investigators
- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is actively investigating the mix-up after being alerted by the Tennessee Healthcare Facilities Commission.
Still unverified
The family's claim that Glenda Dorton was given potassium chloride instead of an epidural has not been confirmed by the hospital; the hospital later said the error involved potassium phosphate instead of mepivacaine. A second patient reportedly also claims paralysis, but this is not confirmed.