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Pope Francis, 88, experienced two new breathing attacks due to pneumonia. Initially admitted for bronchitis, his condition worsened. Despite some improvement, his prognosis remains reserved.
Francis, 88, was admitted to the Gemelli hospital initially for bronchitis, but this then developed into pneumonia in both lungs. (IMAGE: REUTERS file)
Pope Francis suffered two new breathing attacks on Monday, the Vatican said, as the 88-year-old pontiff struggles to recover from pneumonia.
“Today, the Holy Father experienced two episodes of acute respiratory failure, caused by a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm,” it said in a statement.
Francis, 88, was admitted to the Gemelli hospital initially for bronchitis, but this then developed into pneumonia in both lungs.
On February 22 the Vatican revealed he had suffered a “prolonged asthmatic attack” which required him to receive “high-flow” oxygen via a nasal cannula.
Francis also required blood transfusions for thrombocytopenia, a condition that occurs when the platelet count in the blood is too low, which can prevent clotting and lead to continued bleeding.
Over the following days, the Vatican reported an incrementally more positive picture, but there was another major issue on February 28.
The pope suffered “an isolated crisis of bronchospasm” — a tightening of the muscles that line the airways in the lungs — which caused “an episode of vomiting with inhalation”, the Holy See said.
He began “non-invasive mechanical ventilation” — receiving oxygen through a mask, according to a Vatican source — and was nevertheless reported to be “in good spirits”.
On March 2, a Vatican source revealed that more than 48 hours after the crisis, it appeared there had been “no further consequences” from the episode.
The pope’s condition “remained stable”, the Holy See said in its official update that day, saying he had no fever and had on Sunday morning participated in mass.
However, “in view of the complexity of the clinical picture, the prognosis remains reserved”.
This is Francis’s fourth hospital stay since he became pope on March 13, 2013, and is the longest and the most fraught.
He has, in recent years, suffered a number of health issues, even while maintaining a packed schedule, including many overseas trips.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)
- Location :
Vatican City, Vatican City
