INDIANAPOLIS (WISH/AP) — At least 16 students were hospitalized Monday after mistakenly receiving insulin shots.

Students receiving a tuberculosis skin test at McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology, a Lawrence township school, were accidentally given a dosage of insulin by personnel from Community Health Network.

Students were taken to area hospitals. The Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township said parents were notified.

The tuberculosis skin test requires an intradermal injection of liquid — 0.1 milliliter of a purified protein derivative called tuberculin — in the lower part of their arm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A resulting bump is checked two or three days for any signs of latent or active tuberculosis infection.

Insulin is administered to person suffering from diabetes, a disease in which blood sugar levels are too high. The insulin, which is produced by a healthy body, helps the glucose, which comes from consumed food, get into the body’s cells to give them energy.

The side effects of a too high injection of insulin includes sweating, nervousness, hunger and irritability, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“We are working closely with Community Health Network to determine the cause of the error; and to evaluate processes as needed. The MSD of Lawrence Township has a long-standing and strong partnership with Community Health Network,” the district’s director of communication said in a statement. “We have full confidence that the events of today are isolated in nature and will be addressed swiftly by the Community Health Network.”

One parent who did not want to be identified said, “Well, I got a call from my son. He was saying he was administered insulin instead of his TB shot. The bad part about that is the school was telling them not to call their parents; they would handle it.”

Within minutes of the first injection, a few of the students became ill. News 8 is told the TB test are required for the particular program. The affected students were taken from the school by ambulance.

The anonymous parent said, “We have a lot of kids admitted here. I think he said 16 of them took the shot and some kids went out on stretchers, you know, had reactions to it.”

News 8 was told the affected students were admitted to the hospital for observation.

Statements

“This morning during an administration of a TB skin test at McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology by medical personnel from Community Health Network, it was discovered that 16 students had instead been administered a small dosage of insulin.  As soon as the error was discovered, and working closely with Community Health Network, immediate action was taken to care for those students.  As a precaution, all 16 students have/will be transported to area hospitals for observation. Students transported were accompanied by McKenzie staff and district personnel. All parents have been notified.  We are working closely with Community Health Network to determine the cause of the error; and to evaluate processes as needed. 

“The MSD of Lawrence Township has a long-standing and strong partnership with Community Health Network. We have full confidence that the events of today are isolated in nature and will be addressed swiftly by the Community Health Network.

Dana Altemeyer, director of communications, Lawrence Township Schools

“Community Health Network is committed to patient safety. We value our relationships and partnerships and consider it a privilege to partner with schools including MSD of Lawrence Township.

“During an administration of a TB skin test at McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology, it was discovered that 16 students had instead been administered a small dose of insulin. As soon as the error was discovered, and working closely with MSD of Lawrence Township, immediate action was taken to care for those students. As a precaution, students were transported to area hospitals for observation. Parents were notified.

“We are working closely with MSD of Lawrence Township to determine the cause of the error and to evaluate processes. The safety of students in our care is a top priority.

Kris Kirschner, director of corporate communications, marketing & communications, Community Health Network