A Nashville woman is seeking $150 million from Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown, alleging that a medication error during knee replacement surgery left her with a permanent spinal cord injury.
Linda Gilbert, who was 78 at the time of the incident, alleges that hospital staff injected the wrong drug into her spinal canal during the procedure.
A total of four surgery patients received potassium phosphate instead of the intended anesthetic, mepivacaine, on Aug. 14, according to an Aug. 21 statement published on the hospital system’s website.
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The Nov. 6 complaint, which was provided to Fox News Digital by Gilbert’s attorney, alleges the injection severely injured her spinal cord and nerves, leaving her with incomplete paraplegia, severe weakness in both legs and the inability to walk, drive or live independently.
Gilbert also developed shock and respiratory failure requiring a ventilator, according to the filing. The lawsuit alleges that the patient’s injuries are permanent and says she remained in inpatient rehabilitation at a spinal cord injury center in Atlanta at the time it was filed.
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Gilbert’s lawsuit claims that staff continued using syringes from the same batch after two earlier patients reported burning pain. It also alleges medication preparation and verification failures, along with delays in treatment.
The patient is seeking $50 million in compensatory damages and $100 million in punitive damages.
Potassium phosphate is used to treat low phosphorus levels and to supply phosphorus in intravenous nutrition. Its prescribing information specifies that it must be diluted and administered through a vein.
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The label warns that excessive doses or overly rapid intravenous administration can cause dangerous heart rhythms, cardiac arrest, seizures and death, according to prescribing information available on NIH’s DailyMed. Those warnings concern intravenous use, rather than injection into the spinal canal as alleged in Gilbert’s lawsuit.
In a statement published by local NBC affiliate WSMV on Nov. 9, Ascension Saint Thomas said it was aware of the complaint and was cooperating with the legal process, but could not share additional details because the case was ongoing.
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“Our hearts remain with the four patients and families impacted by the recent medication error that occurred at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown,” the hospital wrote in a Sept. 11 statement on its website.
In a Sept. 16 update, the hospital said it was working with an independent quality consultant to “guide and verify the full scope of our corrective actions and process enhancements,” adding that it remained “committed to learning from this and upholding the standards of patient safety, quality, and compassionate care.”
About 790,000 total knee replacements are performed each year in the U.S., according to the American College of Rheumatology.
Most patients experience substantial pain relief and improved mobility, with only 2% reporting serious complications, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons states.
Medication safety recommendations emphasize the importance of clear labeling of drugs, including their names and concentrations, and reading the label to correctly identify each medication before administration.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ascension Saint Thomas, Gilbert’s attorney, the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices for comment.
