Pescara, July 16 – The Asl of Pescara has been ordered to pay over 900,000 euros in compensation to the family of a woman who died in 2010 from an infection contracted in the hospital.
The patient’s story
The 71-year-old woman was hospitalized several times at Pescara hospital starting in October 2010 for issues related to a rectal hemorrhage and an inflammatory bowel disease. She was discharged to be transferred to a nursing home, where her condition worsened, leading to her transfer to Chieti hospital, where she died on Christmas Day due to complications from a staphylococcus aureus infection.
The legal battle
The victim’s relatives, assisted by lawyer Andrea Colletti, initially lost in the first instance, but the Court of Appeal in L’Aquila overturned the ruling, recognizing the negligence and incompetence of the Pescara Asl medical staff.
The verdict
The Court of Appeal highlighted “negligence, imprudence, incompetence” in handling the case, pointing out errors in the choice of antibiotic therapy and discharge procedures. The compensation for the family amounts to approximately 900,000 euros.
The lawyer’s comment
Lawyer Colletti stated: “Hospital infections are one of the main problems in healthcare facilities and a major cause of deaths. With more attention to therapeutic paths and contamination risks, lives could be saved, and high costs for treatments and compensations could be avoided.”
