Pope Francis remains in a critical state on his 11th day of hospitalisation, but the Vatican said his condition is slightly improving. Source: NCR Online.
“Even today there were no episodes of asthmatic respiratory crises; some laboratory tests improved,” said a statement released at 6.40pm local time (4.40am AEDT).
This marks an improvement from 48 hours ago when the Vatican said the 88-year-old pontiff had experienced a sustained respiratory crisis.
In the latest Vatican statement, it was noted that the Pope continues to receive supplemental oxygen; it is now being administered at a reduced flow.
Yesterday, the Vatican announced that the Pope was experiencing mild kidney failure. Today’s bulletin noted that the situation was being monitored but is not presently a “cause for concern”.
The doctors continue to monitor the fragile health of the octogenarian pontiff and said it would be imprudent to offer a prognosis.
Earlier yesterday, Francis received the Eucharist, and according to the Vatican, in the afternoon he engaged in some work. Last night, the Pope called the parish priest in Gaza “to express his paternal closeness” as he has done almost daily since Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip began.
A medical specialist has suggested there is hope for the Pope’s recovery, though it would likely be prolonged and challenging.
Barbara Moscatelli, a top pulmonary specialist in Rome, said the Pope’s complications over the weekend were alarming but not surprising for a patient of his age and fragility.
“These are fairly common occurrences,” said Dr Moscatelli, who worked for 35 years at Rome’s Fatebenefratelli Hospital.
“We seemed to be out of the tunnel, but we need to keep in mind we’re talking about an extremely frail, elderly patient in whom the infection may have passed into the bloodstream.”
Despite the severity of his condition, Dr Moscatelli said she remains cautiously optimistic about the Pope’s potential to recover, particularly given the medical interventions he has received.
“The fact that he is lucid, that he is also able to work, and that there was no need for actual mechanical ventilation but only the high-flow oxygen cannula, these are elements that make me think that this condition might be reversible.”
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Pope Francis still in critical state but slightly improving (By Christopher White, NCR Online)
