Pope ‘restful’ after 10th night in hospital

Pope Francis had a restful 10th night in the hospital, according to a statement published this morning by the Holy See Press Office.

“The night went well, the Pope slept and is resting,” read the statement.

The Pope is receiving treatment for double pneumonia at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

On Sunday evening, the Holy See Press Office said his condition remains critical, though he has not experienced any respiratory crises since Saturday morning.

Pope Francis had received blood transfusions to bring up his haemoglobin levels.

“The thrombocytopenia remains stable. However, some blood tests show early, mild renal insufficiency, which is currently under control,” said the Sunday press statement, adding that “high-flow oxygen therapy continues through nasal cannulas”.

Earlier on Sunday, the Pope attended Mass in his apartment in Gemelli Hospital with the doctors and nurses who are overseeing his treatment.

The Vatican also revealed yesterday that the Pope was treated for early kidney failure.

Laboratory tests had shown initial “mild” signs of kidney failure, but doctors were able to get the problem “under control”.

The Pontiff’s health deteriorated sharply on Saturday amid a prolonged respiratory crisis which also involved blood transfusions.

The Vatican said last week that given the complexity of his clinical status and the need to wait to see if the therapies being administered are working, his overall prognosis is still “reserved”, meaning there is a chance he could recover, but they are also unsure whether he will survive.

He was admitted to the Hospital for the treatment of bronchitis which for two weeks had left him breathless and unable to read prepared speeches.

Francis was later diagnosed with a complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and the onset of pneumonia in both lungs, with doctors repeatedly calling his overall clinical status “complex.”

Doctors told journalists on Friday that the Pope was “not out of danger” and that his situation remained complicated.

They warned that the main threat Francis faced was the potential onset of sepsis, a serious blood infection that can cause multiple organ failure and kill quickly and which can occur as a complication of pneumonia.

The Pope, 88, suffers from chronic lung disease and is especially prone to bronchitis in winter, having suffered from the condition with increased frequency in the past two years.

On Sunday evening, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar of Rome, celebrated Mass at the Roman Basilica of Saint John Lateran for the Pope’s health.

(Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)

The post Pope ‘restful’ after 10th night in hospital first appeared on Catholic Herald.

The post Pope ‘restful’ after 10th night in hospital appeared first on Catholic Herald.