A nine-year-old boy has died after injuring his knee while playing at home.
João Guilherme Jorge Pires fell on a rock on 2 April, hurting his knee.
He was taken to an urgent care centre, where an X-ray showed no fracture in his left leg.
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He was prescribed dipyrone and ibuprofen and sent home to recover.
Over the next six days, João had seven medical appointments at three different health facilities in Campo Grande, Brazil.
In most cases, he was given medication and released, even as his pain worsened.
In addition to knee pain, he began complaining of chest pains, which at one appointment were attributed to anxiety.
The day before his death, he developed purple spots on his body, became pale, struggled to breathe, and fainted on multiple occasions.
On Monday (6 Apr) night, he was taken unconscious to an urgent care centre, where he was resuscitated and intubated.
After being transferred to a hospital, he suffered cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead in the early hours of Tuesday (7 Apr).
Police and local health officials are investigating the case as possible manslaughter, and a post-mortem has been ordered to confirm the cause of death.
Some of the doctors who treated João have suggested a blood clot may have been involved, as reported by Need To Know.
His family claims that initial examinations were not thorough enough and that treatment was delayed when his condition deteriorated.
They also cited a preliminary hospital report suggesting that an earlier intubation at one of the urgent care centres may have been performed incorrectly.
The local health department has confirmed that if any failures or misconduct are identified, appropriate measures will be taken.
João’s sister, Stephany Jorge Menezes, recalled: “He said he was going to be the greatest artist in the world. He loved drawing and was a great football player.”
His aunt, Adriana Soares, asked: “How does a healthy child, with no illnesses, crack his knee and end up dying? We just can’t make sense of it.”
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