A 12-year-old girl from Italy has tragically died after doctors dismissed her illness as a common flu and sent her home. Azzurra Breda was taken to the pediatric emergency department due to fever and breathing difficulties, reports
The doctors who examined the girl described her condition as a simple viral disease and released her to home treatment. However, after returning home to the town of Sant’Angelo di Piove di Sacco, southeast of Padua, her condition deteriorated significantly and the body temperature rose up to 40 °C.
The next day, her worried parents brought her to the emergency room again, where she was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit. However, Azzurra tragically died on December 31 at 10 a.m., just two days after her first visit to the hospital. The cause of death was pneumonia.
The case is currently under investigation. An autopsy was scheduled for January 12. At the same time, personal details about the girl also came to light. Azzurra was a dancer, played the piano for four years and was an excellent student.
Her parents, Valentina and Mattia, described her as a sporty, energetic child without any previous health problems. In October, she completed sports medical examinations with excellent results. She left behind her parents and a younger sister.
Mayor Guido Carlin expressed his condolences to the family and remembered the girl as a popular and respected figure of the local community. “She was quiet, polite and actively involved in the life of the village and events organized by the municipality.” stated.
In addition to playing the piano, she also sang in the children’s choir in the parish church of St. Michael the Archangel. She attended the lower level of secondary school within the local school institute. The mayor remembered that her he saw in the classroom shortly before Christmas and was most impressed by her bright smiling face.
According to the UK’s NHS, pneumonia is an inflammatory disease of the lungs that is often caused by an infection. Most patients usually recover within two to four weeks, but some groups, such as young children and the elderly, are at higher risk of a severe course of the disease.
Symptoms of pneumonia include: cough (often with yellow or green phlegm), shortness of breath, high body temperature, chest pain, body aches, tiredness, confusion, loss of appetite and wheezing. If the cough lasts more than three weeks, if the person coughs up blood, feels short of breath or has chest pain that comes and goes, or gets worse when breathing or coughing, should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
In case of serious breathing problems, bluish or pale skin, lips or tongue, confusion or if it is not possible to wake up the child, it is necessary to call emergency services immediately. At the same time, health workers warn that in such cases, people should not drive themselves to the hospital.
