Maradona doctors ignored warning signs, court told

Diego Maradona showed “warning signs” that were not acted on during the home hospitalization before his death in 2020, forensic physician Carlos Cassinelli told the trial examining whether medical negligence contributed to the Argentine football legend's death.

Cassinelli told the court in San Isidro, north of Buenos Aires, that he had observed warning signs including edema in the lower limbs, swelling in the fingers, shortness of breath and signs of hypertension and an abnormally fast heart rate.

“Nobody went to see what that swelling was about” even though it posed “a life-threatening risk,” he said.

Cassinelli is a member of a medical board that analyzed records and statements to assess Maradona's state of health. “We believe these warning signs were not taken into account by the doctors because their approach did not change,” he said, adding that he believed home hospitalization had been a mistake.

He said Maradona's condition worsened in the days after he was discharged from hospital. “The deterioration was progressive... A warning could have been issued,” he said. Cassinelli also stated that Maradona endured about 12 hours of agony before dying.

Seven healthcare professionals have been on trial in Argentina since mid-April for potential negligence that may have contributed to Maradona's death. Maradona died at age 60 of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, a condition in which fluid accumulates in the lungs, two weeks after undergoing surgery.

The accused deny responsibility for his death, saying Maradona, who battled cocaine and alcohol addictions for years, died of natural causes.

Earlier in the trial, Maradona's masseur Nicolas Taffarel testified that Maradona was bedridden, swollen and unwilling to eat or wash in his final days. Taffarel said he had alerted Maradona's medical team that they should be more present and visit every day, but saw no concrete action or swift resolution.

The trial could run beyond August.