A 30-year-old medical resident at the Infermi Hospital in Rimini, Italy, is under investigation following the death of a four-year-old girl early Saturday, March 14th. The child had been brought to the hospital by her parents late Friday evening, suffering from a high fever and general malaise.
The girl was initially discharged after her vital signs appeared stable, according to hospital records. However, she was brought back to the hospital late at night, and despite the efforts of a medical team including pediatricians and resuscitation specialists, she died. Rimini’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, led by Deputy Prosecutor Daniele Paci, opened an investigation days after the death to determine the circumstances surrounding the case.
The parents, represented by lawyer Giulio Maione of the Pesaro bar, have been questioned by police. The young doctor has been registered as a suspect with a notice of guarantee.
The medical records detail the sequence of events: the parents arrived at the emergency room at 8:30 PM, reporting that their daughter had been unwell for several hours. After examinations proved negative, doctors administered acetaminophen to reduce the fever, which temporarily subsided. The records indicate the child was discharged at 12:43 AM.
Approximately an hour and a half after returning home, the girl’s condition deteriorated again, with a renewed fever and repeated vomiting, leading to a loss of consciousness around 6:00 AM. Emergency services were called, and she was transported back to the hospital. A multidisciplinary team attempted resuscitation for over an hour, but were unsuccessful.
The parents, still in shock, immediately requested a thorough investigation into their daughter’s death. “It’s possible that other individuals could also be investigated,” explained lawyer Giulio Maione. “I wish to emphasize that we are not looking to blame anyone. Mistakes happen, but the parents rightly want to know what happened and why their daughter died.”
Maurizio Grossi, president of the Rimini Medical Association, commented on the case. “This case has certainly caused a stir. We will follow the investigation and there will be assessments that we cannot comment on beforehand. However, , as far as we understand, the doctor followed standard procedures. Having a medical resident in the emergency room is a guarantee in these cases, especially compared to the past when doctors employed had less specialized training. The presence of a young doctor was not an exception; specialists are always present, also to offer greater expertise.”
An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday, March 21st, to determine the cause of death. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has appointed forensic doctors Loredana Buscemi, along with pediatricians Gaetano Pietro Bulfamante of Milan and Donatella De Martiis of Brescia, as technical consultants for the autopsy. The doctor under investigation has retained Professor Giuseppe Fortuni, a forensic doctor, and Dr. Fabrizio De Maria, a neonatologist from Bologna’s Maggiore Hospital, as his consultants.
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