The Abscess and Septicemia: How Francesco Santoro Died – Villa Sofia Doctor Sent to Trial
The story of Francesco Santoro was shared with Palermo Live by his sister, Rosaria, who, together with their mother and sister, filed a complaint to clarify the events surrounding his death. “It all began on March 22, 2023, when my brother started feeling unwell. We went to Villa Sofia because Francesco, being a dialysis patient, trusted the Nephrology department. Upon arriving at the ER triage, we were immediately referred to the Stomatology department at the CTO. The doctor saw us after about 10 minutes. He examined my brother and, with gloves on, inserted his finger into Francesco’s mouth, confirming that it was indeed an abscess.”
Despite the diagnosis, the 46-year-old was not hospitalized and was sent home with further treatment instructions. “I informed the doctor that my brother was a dialysis patient, diabetic, and had already been on treatment for four days. The doctor advised us to continue with Rocefin and add Flagyl and Oki as needed. We assumed my brother would be hospitalized,” Rosaria continued, “given his condition as a dialysis patient.”
However, the treatment was ineffective. Two days later, the dialysis center took a sample and discovered that Francesco’s white blood cell count was extremely high. The nephrologist contacted his sister, urging her to take him back to the hospital as he was in septic shock. “We rushed him to Cervello Hospital,” says his sister. “After three hours, they conducted a CT scan and blood tests in the evening, which confirmed both the abscess and septicemia.” Francesco was then transferred to the Infectious Diseases unit.
*The Concerns Raised by the Doctor at Cervello*
“The attending doctor told us that we had brought my brother in a deplorable state,” Rosaria recounted. “I responded that it wasn’t true, as Francesco was already seriously ill when we first sought medical help. I even sent the doctor documentation to back my claim.”
The last call Rosaria received from Francesco was filled with fear. “He told me, ‘What should I do here? They’ll likely move me to intensive care.’ I reassured him that it was better to be closely monitored.” However, Rosaria did not realize this would be her final conversation with her brother. “At 1:30 p.m. on March 26, I received a call from Cervello informing me that my brother had been intubated, sedated, and immediately transferred to the maxillofacial unit at Villa Sofia for emergency surgery.” Francesco died on April 7.
Legal Proceedings: A Doctor Sent to Trial
The Santoro family, represented by the lawyers Rosanna Siino and Domenico Cancemi, filed a formal complaint shortly after Francesco’s death. After the medical records were seized, the public prosecutor appointed an official consultant, who determined that while there was medical responsibility, it was not severe enough for criminal proceedings, only civil compensation. A request for case dismissal followed.
The Santoro family’s legal team lodged an objection. “We highlighted the aspects overlooked by the public prosecutor’s consultant,” lawyer Siino told Palermo Live. “The report claimed that Mr. Santoro arrived in serious condition, which contradicts the fact that he was assigned a green code. Santoro certainly had an infection that required instrumental tests, given his fragile health. In our opposition, we requested compulsory indictment or an extension of the investigation.” The investigating judge ultimately accepted the objection and ordered a forced indictment, with a hearing set for July 10.
In his rationale for the indictment, Prosecutor Vittorio Coppola explained that “through imprudence and negligence, as well as violations of established guidelines, the doctor on duty in the odontomastology department at Villa Sofia, consulted by the ER physician, caused the patient’s death by failing to perform an instrumental examination of the dental emergency.”
The prosecutor further reiterated what the Santoro family had suspected all along: Francesco should have been hospitalized after his initial visit to the ER. “The doctor failed to order admission or provide appropriate drainage and other emergency surgical treatments for the dental abscess that was causing the infection.”
“In our view, it’s clear that there was a violation of guidelines and good healthcare practices,” said lawyer Domenico Cancemi to Palermo Live. “Had Mr. Santoro received the necessary care, the outcome could have been different. He should have been administered intravenous antibiotics and had a CT scan of the lower neck to drain the abscess. These steps were not taken, leading to septicemia and, ultimately, his death.”
The Santoro family continues to ask, “If proper attention had been given, would my brother still be alive?” They hope the legal process will soon provide an answer to this question that has haunted them for over a year.
Francesco Santoro
Source: palermolive.it
Autor : Elian Lo Pipero