VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis, who suffered two respiratory crises on Monday (Mar 3) as he battles double pneumonia, has stabilised and no longer needs to use mechanical ventilation for help breathing, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
Francis, 88, had been put on non-invasive ventilation on Monday after suffering what was described as two episodes of “acute respiratory insufficiency” that day.
The pope has now returned to receiving oxygen via a small nasal hose under his nose, said the Vatican press office. His condition, it said, is stable, although doctors have kept his prognosis as “guarded”, meaning the pope is not out of danger.
Francis has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital since Feb 14, when he was admitted for a severe respiratory infection that triggered other complications.
A full medical update on the pope’s condition was expected on Tuesday evening.
Francis has not been seen in public since entering hospital, his longest absence from view since his papacy started in March 2013. His doctors have not said how long his treatment might last.
Monday’s setback came following several days of relatively upbeat statements about his condition. The Vatican said the two respiratory episodes on Monday were caused by “a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus”.
The pope, it said, had suffered a bronchospasm, akin to an asthma attack, and had required two bronchoscopies, or procedures to inspect his air passages.
The Vatican would not say on Tuesday whether the pope had received sedation during the procedures.
A Vatican official, who did not wish to be named because he was not authorised to discuss the pope’s health, said on Monday evening that the pontiff’s blood tests that day had remained stable.
The pope’s doctors believe the respiratory episode was part of his body’s normal response in fighting infection, the official added.
Francis has experienced several bouts of ill health over the last two years and is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection in both lungs that can inflame and scar them, making it difficult to breathe.
