Nashville hospital drug mix-up
Four patients expecting routine surgeries at Ascension St. Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville faced a medical nightmare after staff accidentally gave them the wrong drugs. A drug mix-up reportedly involved patients being given potassium instead of an anesthetic, leading to two people becoming paralyzed and at least one other ending up on a ventilator. Hospital staff realized something was wrong when multiple patients went into cardiac arrest, since too much potassium given too quickly can stop a person's heart. The incident occurred inside the hospital's pharmacy, a detail confirmed by the family of one patient. In a statement, the hospital said they were deeply sorry for the harm caused and had implemented corrective safeguards. CBS News correspondent Nicole Valdes reported from the scene while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations is looking into the mix-up. There are still unanswered questions regarding the specific safety protocols now in place.
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Four people expecting routine surgeries at this Tennessee hospital are now facing a medical nightmare. A drug mix-up at Ascension St. Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville reportedly left two patients paralyzed and at least one other on a ventilator after officials say they were given the wrong medication prior to surgery. Now those four patients were reportedly given potassium instead of an anesthetic. The family of one of those patients told our CBS affiliate in Nashville the mix-up happened inside the hospital's pharmacy. Now, hospital staff apparently realized something was terribly wrong when multiple patients went into cardiac arrest. Too much potassium given too quickly can stop a person's heart. Now, in a statement, the hospital said they were, quote, deeply sorry for the harm caused and had implemented corrective safeguards to prevent something like this from happening again. And we know the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations is now looking into this mix up, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions. The hospital has also not made it clear what those safety protocols now include.
