Pope Francis, 88, does not need mechanical ventilation any more, the Vatican confirmed on Tuesday adding that now he needs just high-flow supplemental oxygen. On Monday, Pope Francis suffered two new acute respiratory crises and was put back on mechanical ventilation. Within hours, his situation improved doing away with the need for mechanical ventilation.
Pope Francis has been in hospital in Rome since February 14. Initially, he was admitted with bronchitis issues which later 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.
The Pope 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”
On Tuesday morning, the Holy See Press Office said the Pope slept through the night.
