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Grandmother left paralyzed from chest down after allegedly being given lethal injection drug in hospital mix-up

Nypost · · 296 words · By Anthony Blair
Medical Malpractice Patient Safety
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What to know about Medical Malpractice

Grandmother left paralyzed from chest down after allegedly being given lethal injection drug in hospital mix-up See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 7
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left33%
Center34%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Grandmother left paralyzed from chest down after allegedly being given lethal injection drug in hospital mix-up See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google A Tennessee grandmother was left paralyzed from the chest down after her family claims she was allegedly given a drug used in lethal injections in a reported medicine mix-up at a hospital.

Common ground

Glenda Dorton, 72, went into Nashville’s Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown on Friday for a knee replacement, where she was allegedly given potassium chloride instead of an epidural to control the pain, her family told WSMV4.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/19/us-news/tennessee-grandmother-paralyzed-after-alle…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “At least three other patients were affected at the hospital in an undisclosed “event,” according to Ascension Saint Thomas management.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that four patients in total were impacted, meaning Glenda Dorton and 'at least three other patients'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ascension Saint Thomas is a healthcare system in Tennessee. The Ascension Saint Thomas President and CEO is Fahad Tahir.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_Saint_Thomas
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and the archipelago of Trista…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Helena,_Ascension_and_Tr…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown, formerly known as Baptist Hospital, is a non-profit community hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, United States and the largest such hospital in Middle Tennessee…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Thomas_Midtown_Hospital
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 2: “Potassium chloride... was used in the past as part of Tennessee’s lethal-injection protocol”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and Prison Legal News confirm that potassium chloride is used in lethal injection protocols to cause cardiac arrest, specifically mentioning Tennessee's protocol.
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web search NEUTRAL — Conventional lethal injection protocol.When used in a state-sanctioned lethal injection, a bolus potassium injection affects the electrical conduction of heart muscle and ultimately leads to cardiac a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_injection
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web search NEUTRAL — Death row inmates in Tennessee can choose the method the state will use to end their lives. Increasingly, they are choosing the electric chair. Credit...Mark Humphrey/Associated Press.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/19/us/electric-chair-tenness…
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web search NEUTRAL — B. Adoption of Tennessee’s Lethal Injection Protocol Over the years, the Protocol has been revised multiple times.the syringe used for administration of Potassium Chloride to reduce the number of syri…
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/publications/tn-lethal-…
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Claim 3: “she was allegedly given potassium chloride instead of an epidural to control the pain”
CORROBORATED
While some search results for this specific claim index were irrelevant (gaming sites), other results for the same event (Claim 0 and Claim 5) explicitly state that potassium chloride was mistakenly administered through epidural lines instead of pain medication.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Easy no-download video poker! Jacks or Better, Bonus, Double Double, Deuces, Joker Poker, total of 17 variations plus perfect play trainer.
https://www.freeslots.com/poker.htm
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web search NEUTRAL — Welcome to the best place to play FREE online slots and video poker. Choose from 30+ totally FREE 3-reel and 5-reel slots. No installation or download needed, just ...
http://www.freeslots.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Super Times Pay Wheel Poker Super Triple Play Jackpots Super Triple Play Poker Ten Play Draw Poker Triple Play Draw Poker Triple Play Keno Draw Poker Triple Play with Match Card Triple Spin Poker Trip…
https://www.videopoker.com/play_games/
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Claim 4: “Dorton is now paralyzed from the chest down and remains in the ICU”
CORROBORATED
Although the specific evidence block for claim 4 was empty, the evidence provided for claim 0 explicitly states that Dorton's family said she 'remains in the intensive care unit' and is 'paralyzed from the chest down'.
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Claim 5: “A Tennessee grandmother was left paralyzed from the chest down after her family claims she was allegedly given a drug used in lethal injections in a reported medicine mix-up at a hospital.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm that Glenda Dorton was left paralyzed from the chest down/sternum following a medication error at an Ascension hospital.
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web search NEUTRAL — Paralyzed after medication error, an Ascension patient was transferred to a Chicago rehab for specialized spinal injury care.Ms. Dorton will receive treatment for about six weeks to maximize her physi…
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/patient-safety…
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web search NEUTRAL — Hospital officials say potassium chloride was mistakenly administered through epidural lines instead of the intended pain medication. At least one patient, 72-year-old Glenda Dorton, was left paralyze…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/nashville-ascension-hospital…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dorton’s family said that the medication error left Dorton paralyzed from the chest down and that she remains in the intensive care unit.
https://www.wect.com/2026/08/20/family-says-medication-mix-u…
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Claim 6: “hospital president and CEO Dr. Shubhada Jagasia told The Post on Wednesday. “On behalf of our leadership and care teams, I am deeply sorry for the harm caused to our patients,””
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Dr. Shubhada Jagasia, President and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas, apologized for the harm caused to the patients.
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web search NEUTRAL — (WSMV) - President and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital, Dr. Shubhada Jagasia, has confirmed to WSMV4 that an undisclosed incident led to patients being “harmed.” Dr. Jagasia reports that four p…
https://www.wsmv.com/2026/08/18/i-am-deeply-sorry-harm-cause…
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web search NEUTRAL — Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown President and CEO Dr. Shubhada Jagasia acknowledged that four patients were harmed and apologized to the patients and their families. The hospital says it notified Tenne…
https://www.forthepeople.com/blog/medication-mix-ascension-s…
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web search NEUTRAL — Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville revealed the error at its Midtown hospital had impacted four joint replacement patients.In a statement to Fox17, Dr. Shubhada Jagasia, president and CEO of…
https://www.ladbible.com/news/us-news/health-us-hospital-med…
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Claim 7: “Glenda Dorton, 72, went into Nashville’s Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown on Friday for a knee replacement”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm Glenda Dorton is 72 years old and was admitted to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown for a knee replacement.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 72-year-old Glenda Dorton, pictured left alongside her husband Marvin Dorton, was left paralyzed after alleged drug mix-up at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown. (Photo courtesy Kristina Dorton). 2 Commen…
https://newschannel9.com/news/local/tennessee-woman-paralyze…
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web search NEUTRAL — NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown says at least four patients were left harmed during an unspecified event, and the family of one of those patients says their loved one…
https://www.wsmv.com/2026/08/19/alleged-drug-mix-up-ascensio…
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web search NEUTRAL — The family of 72-year-old Glenda Dorton said she went to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown in Nashville on Friday for a knee replacement. She was left paralyzed after an alleged medication mix-u…
https://www.wect.com/2026/08/20/family-says-medication-mix-u…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.