Rome – Rome (AP) – Pope Francis ‘Doctors are providing their first update in person on the condition of the pontiff in a month, in a sign that he has made good and constant progress in his battle against double pneumonia.
Saturday night The informative session is the first since February 21, A week after Francis, 88, was taken to the Gemelli hospital after experiencing several respiratory crises that took him in critical condition, although since then he has stabilized.
In another development, the Vatican announced that Francis would appear on Sunday morning to bless the faithful from his tenth suite in the hospital. While Francis launched An audio message on March 6 and the The Vatican distributed a photo Of him on March 16, Sunday’s blessing will be the first live appearance since Francis was admitted on February 14, so he has become the longest hospitalization of his 12 -year -old papacy.
The Argentine Pope, who has chronic lung disease, is prone to respiratory problems in winter and that was removed by a lung when he was young, was admitted after a bronchitis attack worsened.
The first doctors diagnosed a complex infection of bacterial, viral and fungal respiratory tract and shortly after, pneumonia in both lungs. Blood analysis showed signs of anemia, low platelets in the blood and the beginning of renal failure, all of which were then resolved after two blood transfusions.
The most serious setbacks began on February 28, when Francis experienced a Acute cough adjustment And vomiting inhaled, which requires that you use a non -invasive mechanical ventilation mask to help you breathe. Suffered two More respiratory crises In the following days, which required that doctors manually aspire the mucus, at which time he began to sleep with the ventilation mask at night to help their lungs clean the accumulation of liquids.
At no time lost knowledge, and doctors reported that it was alert and cooperative.
In the last two weeks, it has stabilized and registered slight improvements, the Vatican press office reported. You no longer need to use the ventilation mask at night, and is reducing its dependence on high supplementary oxygen flows during the day.
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