A hospital in Florida is facing a lawsuit after a 2-year-old boy, De’ Markus Page, died from an accidental medication overdose caused by a misread decimal point. De’ Markus had been admitted for a viral infection, but due to a medication error, he received more than ten times the intended dose, leading to cardiac arrest. His mother is now suing the hospital, seeking $50,000 (approximately RM155,000) in damages.
According to reports from the New York Post and LAW&CRIME, the incident occurred around March 1, 2024. De’ Markus was initially taken to a nearby emergency room by his mother, Dominique Page, due to persistent fever and vomiting. As his condition worsened, he was transferred to UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital for further treatment. Doctors discovered that his potassium levels were low and prescribed 1.5 mmol of potassium phosphate once daily.
However, due to a miscalculation by hospital staff, the dose was mistakenly increased tenfold and administered twice a day. Two days later, the excessive potassium levels caused his heart to stop. He was rushed to the intensive care unit, where he fought for his life for two weeks. Around March 18, life support was withdrawn, and De’ Markus tragically passed away.
Dominique Page has filed a lawsuit against the hospital, alleging that the staff’s insufficient training contributed to the delay in intubation—taking 20 minutes to respond to cardiac arrest—ultimately resulting in her son’s death. Family attorney Dorsey called the hospital’s actions “extremely negligent” and stated that basic medical standards were not met.
The hospital has not publicly commented on the incident, stating only that it is committed to protecting patient privacy and complying with all medical regulations.
