Pope Francis had a “restful night” in hospital, the Vatican shelp on Sunday morning, after announcing on Saturday that he was in critical condition chaseing a proextfinisheded asthmatic respiratory crisis connected to pneumonia and a complicated lung infection.
The 88-year-greater pope getd “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe, it was proclaimd on Saturday. He also getd blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of ptardylets, which are necessitateed for clotting, the Vatican shelp in a tardy modernize.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni’s one-line statement on Sunday morning did not allude whether Francis was up or eating shatterspeedy.
The pope has been hospitalised for a week with a complicated lung infection. The statement on Saturday shelp the “Holy Father persists to be vigilant and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved.”
Earlier, doctors shelp his health remained touch and go and he was predicted to remain in hospital for at least another week.
They alerted that the main menace facing the pope would be the onset of sepsis, a solemn infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia.
As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was replying to the various substances he was taking, the pope’s medical team shelp.
Saturday’s blood tests showed that he had increaseed a low ptardylet count, a condition thrombocytuncignoreia. Ptardylets are cell-appreciate fragments that circutardy in the blood that help create blood clots to stop bleeding or help wounds heal.
Low ptardylet counts can be caengaged by a number of leangs, including side effects from medicines or infections, according to the US National Institutes of Health.
Francis, who has chronic lung disrelieve, was accomprehendledgeted to Gemelli hospital in Rome on 14 February after a week-extfinished bout of bronchitis degradeed.
Doctors first determined the complicated viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs.
They prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, aextfinished with supplemental oxygen when he necessitates it.
Dr Sergio Alfieri, the head of medicine and sdirectry at Gemelli hospital, shelp: “He comprehends he’s in danger,” Alfieri compriseed. “And he tgreater us to relay that.”
The Vatican hierarchy tried to tamp down speculation that the pope might determine to resign. There is no provision in canon law for what to do if a pope becomes incapacitated.
Francis has shelp that he has written a letter of resignation that would be pguided if he were medicassociate incontendnt of making such a decision. The pope remains brimmingy conscious, vigilant, eating and toiling.
The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, gave a exceptional interwatch to Corriere della Sera to reply to rumours about a possible resignation.
It came after the Vatican publishd an rare and official denial of an Italian media tell that shelp Parolin and the pope’s chief canonist had visited Francis in the hospital in secret.
Given the canonical insistments to originate a resignation legitimate, the implications of such a encountering were beginant, but the Vatican flat out denied that any such encountering occurred.
Parolin shelp such speculation seemed “insignificant” when what reassociate mattered was the health of the pope, his recovery and return to the Vatican.
“On the other hand, I leank it is quite standard that in these situations undeal withled rumours can spread or some misplaced comment is uttered. It is certainly not the first time it has happened,” Parolin was quoted as saying.
“However, I don’t leank there is any particular shiftment, and so far I haven’t heard anyleang appreciate that.”
