“The family wants answers and justice” said the lawyer assisting the family of the woman, who died after a sudden collapse at the Bari Polyclinic. The hospital‘s version: what happened after the woman’s arrival
A emergency room doctor of the Polyclinic of Bari ended up in the register of suspects for the death of a patient of 39 years oldwho died on the evening of December 7th after almost seven hours since his arrival at the hospital. The woman, who suffered from Turner syndromea female genetic anomaly linked to the total or partial lack of the chest pain left an hour early. 118, after having found anomalies on the electrocardiogram performed at home, took her to the facility at 3.44pm, classifying her for triage with code orange for urgency. The prosecutor Luisiana Di Vittorio opened a file and arranged for an autopsy, entrusted to the medical examiner Liliana Innamorato and the cardiac surgeon Massimo Villani, to clarify causes and responsibilities.
From access to the first investigations: what happened
According to the reconstruction of the Polyclinic, based on the clinical documentation, the patient presented in her history hypertension, diabetes and Turner syndrome. The investigations began between 4.00 pm and 4.45 pm: blood tests with first dosage of the cardiac troponinelectrocardiogram and chest and abdominal x-rays were negative. While waiting, the 39-year-old showed repeated symptoms episodes of food vomitingundergoing therapy to alleviate the symptoms with an apparent improvement in the picture. In the meantime, monitoring continued with the scheduling of a second troponin check.
The sudden collapse and the attempt at resuscitation
At around 8.40pm, while still under observation, the woman complained of a sudden illness followed by cardiovascular arrest. Urgently transferred to a shock room, she was subjected to prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers, but to no avail: death was declared at 9.22pm. According to the doctors at the Polyclinic, the most probable hypothesis is one aortic dissection. The family, assisted by the lawyer Happy Petruzzellahas appointed its own consultants as well as the suspect, defended by Pino Giulitto. “The family wants answers and justice,” said Petruzzella, explaining that the greatest concern is what happened in those crucial hours.
The Polyclinic: trust in operators, maximum collaboration
The hospital company expressed condolences to the family and reiterated “full trust in the work and professionalism of the emergency room operators”, confirming total availability for any in-depth information requested by the judicial authority. Investigations continue to establish the exact dynamics and verify any profiles of responsibility.
