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Toddler Dies After Fatal Medication Error at Hospital
8 Feb
Summary
- A two-year-old died after a tenfold medication overdose.
- A decimal point error changed a potassium dose from 1.5 to 15 mmol.
- A lawsuit alleges delayed intubation caused irreversible brain damage.
A two-year-old boy, De'Markus Page, died on March 18, 2026, after a catastrophic medication error at UF Health Shands in Gainesville, Florida. The toddler was hospitalized in March 2024 with a common cold virus and dangerously low potassium levels.
Initially treated at AdventHealth Ocala, he was transferred to UF Health Shands for advanced care. According to a lawsuit filed by his parents, a doctor incorrectly ordered 15 mmol of potassium phosphate instead of the prescribed 1.5 mmol, a tenfold overdose.
This massive dose caused hyperkalemic cardiac arrest. The complaint further alleges that medical staff took over 20 minutes to intubate him during resuscitation efforts, leading to irreversible brain damage due to oxygen deprivation.
Despite the critical nature of his condition, he was not admitted to the ICU. After two weeks on life support with no neurological improvement, his parents made the decision to withdraw it. His death was attributed to cardiac arrest and subsequent anoxic brain injury.
