Naples—The Naples prosecutor's office's investigation into the death of Domenico Caliendo, the child who died following a failed heart transplant, could spread like wildfire. What initially seemed like a tragic, if isolated, case of medical malpractice now risks taking on much broader implications. According to leaks from investigative sources, and previewed by the 1:13,30 PM news program, the Neapolitan magistrates have turned the spotlight on two other suspicious operations that occurred previously.
The alleged chain of negligence
Investigators are working to cross-reference testimonies and reconstruct the exact sequence of what appears, at this stage of the investigation, to be a dramatic chain of errors and oversights. At the heart of the case is the extremely delicate phase of organ transport: a heart that, according to reconstructions, would have been transported immersed in dry ice, inside a non-sterile box. An obsolete and risky procedure, to which the Neapolitan medical team apparently recklessly gave their approval.
The mystery of the “Paragonix” devices
But an official document now weighs heavily on the health workers' position. It's a substantial 295-page report, sent by the Campania Region to the Ministry of Health, containing documents provided by the management of the Colli Hospital (which includes Monaldi). The dossier, signed by General Director Anna Iervolino and Medical Director Angela Annechiarico, reveals a disconcerting detail: the hospital was perfectly equipped to prevent the tragedy.
In December, in fact, three “Paragonix” devices were available at Monaldi, the sophisticated latest-generation devices designed specifically for the transport and optimal preservation of transplant organs.
“We weren't aware of it”
"Since 2023," the documents sent to Rome state, "the Colli Hospital has equipped itself with an organ transport system compliant with current regulations [...]. However, it emerged that the procurement team did not use this medical device, which is regularly used in similar events at the hospital." Management also specifies that the operating room designated for transplants has at least two devices, with a third always kept as a spare in the pharmacy.
When the medical director formally requested clarification on why they chose to use ice instead of the available machines, the team that operated on Domenico responded tersely: the doctors stated in their statement that they "were unaware of the availability of such equipment at the hospital." This justification will now be examined by investigators, who are called upon to determine whether ignorance of their department's equipment can justify the use of makeshift procedures that cost a child's life.
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Comments (1)
It seems like a very sad and worrying case to me, but I don't understand how they could have used dry ice instead of Paragonix. The staff wasn't informed. The hospital seemed to have 3 devices, but someone didn't check or didn't already know. Now we're waiting for clarifications from the judiciary to understand the truth.