Patient Paralyzed After Reported Medication Error at Nashville Hospital
A 72-year-old woman in Nashville, Tennessee, was left paralyzed from the chest down after a reported medication mix-up at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown. The family states she was given potassium chloride instead of bupivacaine during an epidural for knee…
Charlotte, NC, August 20, 2026 —
A 72-year-old woman in Nashville, Tennessee, has reportedly been left paralyzed from the chest down following a medication error at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown. According to the patient’s family, she was administered potassium chloride instead of the intended anesthetic, bupivacaine, during an epidural procedure for knee replacement surgery.
The incident is said to have affected at least three other patients who were also reportedly harmed by the same medication mix-up. The specific circumstances leading to the error are currently under investigation.
Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown has issued an apology regarding the reported incident. The hospital stated that it is conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. Furthermore, the hospital has reported the incident to state regulators and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, indicating the seriousness with which the situation is being treated.
Details regarding the timeline of the medication error, the exact dates of the surgeries, or the current condition of the other affected patients were not immediately available. The contractor involved in the incident was not specified.
The family of the 72-year-old patient alleges that the administration of the incorrect medication resulted in her paralysis. The hospital has acknowledged the report and committed to understanding how the error occurred.
Story summarized from the original created by Hunter Hoagland, Amber Jayanth, Gray News staff on www.wbtv.com, see more information here.
