A two-year-old overdosed after a misplaced decimal point allegedly caused medical staff to give him the wrong amount of medicine at a hospital in Florida.
De’Markus Jeremiah Page, a child who had special needs, reportedly died from being administered 10 times the proper amount of medicine at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville on March 3, 2024.
A lawsuit was filed by Dominique Page, the boy’s mother, who claimed that the hospital was responsible for wrongful death and medical negligence.
Page received a tenfold overdose of oral potassium phosphate in combination with other routes of unmonitored potassium administration, according to a press release by his family, cited by the Alachua Chronicle.
The little boy was initially admitted to AdventHealth Ocala Hospital on March 1, 2024, for persistent vomiting, diarrhea, and decreased oral intake.
Doctors found that he had critically low potassium levels, prompting a transfer to Shands for immediate IV therapy.
While Page was being cared for at Shands, a dose of oral potassium phosphate was to be administered to him orally, twice a day, at 1.5 mmol, according to the lawsuit.
However, the documents noted that a misplaced decimal point was later entered during his hospitalization: ‘[The doctor] errantly placed the new 11.01 am order for oral potassium phosphate to be administered at 10 times the previous dosage, deleting a critical decimal point in the prior day’s dosage of 1.5 mmol – now ordering the liquid supplement to be given at 15 mmol twice a day.’
De’Markus Jeremiah Page, reportedly died from being administered 10 times the proper amount of medicine at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida on March 3, 2024
Dominique Page, the boy’s mother, filed a lawsuit and claimed that the hospital was responsible for wrongful death and medical negligence
A lawsuit was filed by Dominique Page, the boy’s mother, who claimed that the hospital was responsible for wrongful death and medical negligence
‘This exceedingly high level of potassium would be administered to De’Markus… with no rationale, and in addition to two other routes of potassium administration he was already receiving in the way of intravenous KCL and Pedialyte – and to an underweight two-year-old who had a normal morning potassium level.’
The victim’s levels spiked to fatal levels, which caused him to go into cardiac arrest, according to the family.
However, Page was allegedly not monitored for cardiac-related issues.
‘Medical personnel were not aware of the cardiac arrest, and once alerted to the arrest, there was an over 20-minute delay and multiple failed attempts due to inadequate training and equipment to intubate De’Markus to protect his airway to ensure he was properly oxygenated,’ the press release reportedly states.
The statement claims that Page should have survived, but a delay in intubation led to his suffering prolonged oxygen deprivation, resulting in a catastrophic brain injury.
The little boy was determined to be brain dead and died in his mother’s arms.
‘Every day I wake up and look for my son, and he’s not there. He’s gone, and he didn’t have to be,’ said Dominique, according to Alachua.
Page received a tenfold overdose of oral potassium phosphate in combination with other routes of unmonitored potassium administration, according to a press release by his family
The victim’s levels spiked to fatal levels, which caused him to go into cardiac arrest. The little boy was determined to be brain dead and died in his mother’s arms
She added: ‘We were sent to Shands Hospital by another hospital, and we trusted Shands Hospital with his care. They killed my little baby boy and never acknowledged any of their wrongdoing. This is every mother’s worst nightmare.’
Jordan Dulcie, an attorney representing the Page family, noted that no parent should have to lose a child the way Dominique did and plans to hold the hospital fully accountable.
The family also added in their statement that their case highlights the serious issue of patient safety, pediatric care protocols, and the oversight of the most vulnerable children with special needs in hospital settings.
UF Health Shands Hospital told the Daily Mail: ‘UF Health is committed to protecting the privacy of all patients and their families and follows all state and federal HIPAA regulations. We cannot release information on patients or possible patients and their treatment without consent.’
Shands Hospital’s specialty programs are consistently ranked among the nation’s best according to its website.
UF Health Shands Hospital and its children’s hospital are nationally ranked in nine adult and pediatric medical specialties, according to a report by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospital rankings for 2023-24.
