Cosenza doctor to face manslaughter trial over fatal medical error

A doctor at the Cosenza Hospital emergency room has been sent to trial for manslaughter following the death of 63-year-old Gianfranco Pascariello in December 2024. The prosecution alleges that the physician administered an antibiotic to which the patient was known to be allergic, as noted in his triage records, triggering an anaphylactic reaction and subsequent cardiorespiratory arrest.

The trial is scheduled to begin on December 10, 2026, before Judge Carmen Ciarcia at the Tribunal of Cosenza. While the patient's initial care at the Cetraro emergency room was deemed diligent, investigators are scrutinizing the subsequent transfer to Cosenza via a non-medicalized ambulance, noting that a doctor should have been present on board given the patient's condition.

The victim's family has joined the proceedings as civil parties and is seeking to involve the hospital administration in the case.