Tennessee Hospital Under Fire After Woman Allegedly Goes in for Knee Surgery and Wakes Up Numb From the Chest Down. Reports Say There Are Others
Reportedly four patients were affected.
A Tennessee woman who went to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville for knee surgery allegedly woke up unable to move or feel much of her body. An apparent medication mix-up is to blame, according to reports citing her family.
The woman, identified by WSMV as 72-year-old Glenda Dorton of Centerville, Tennessee, went to the Nashville hospital for a knee replacement. Her family told the station that she allegedly received potassium chloride instead of the medication intended for her epidural.
Ascension Saint Thomas confirmed that an “event” affected four patients and their families. All the patients had joint replacement surgeries at the hospital on Aug. 14, 2026. The hospital has not publicly disclosed specific details about the other patients’ condition.
Dorton Has “Zero Feeling” Below Her Breastbone, Her Daughter-In-Law Said.
Dorton’s daughter-in-law, Kristina Dorton, told WSMV that Dorton remains in intensive care and has paralysis from the chest down. Her family said doctors are determining whether they can reverse the damage.
“It was supposed to be the anesthetic. It was supposed to be Bupivacaine, and it was potassium, and we don’t know what quantity,” Dorton told WKRN. Kristina added, “Currently, she has zero feeling, movement, or response to pain from her breastbone down. We don’t know what recovery looks like or if there is recovery.”
The reports have not established precisely how the alleged medication error occurred. Ascension Saint Thomas has not publicly confirmed that Dorton received potassium chloride instead of an epidural. Publicly available reports have not established whether the other three patients suffered similar injuries or other complications.
Dr. Shubhada Jagasia, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown, said the hospital would not provide specific clinical details because of patient privacy concerns. In a statement reported by People, Jagasia said the hospital had met with each family, connected them with spiritual care teams and provided access to ongoing care and other resources.
“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,” Jagasia’s statement said.
Potassium Chloride Can Cause “Hyperkalemia.”
Dangerously high potassium levels, known as hyperkalemia, can disrupt the electrical signals that control the heart, potentially causing life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms or cardiac arrest. Severe cases can also cause muscle weakness, numbness, tingling, and paralysis, according to MedLinePlus.
A separate incident reported by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) involved a hospital patient who nearly received concentrated potassium chloride after a bag was placed in the same automated dispensing cabinet bin as heparin, a blood thinner. A nurse caught the error while scanning the medication before administration, preventing it from reaching the patient. ISMP identified concentrated potassium chloride as a high-alert medication and cited the case as an example of the risks created by similar-looking products and storage practices
Ascension Saint Thomas reported the matter to state regulators and implemented additional safety measures. The circumstances surrounding the alleged medication mix-up remain under investigation.
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