'This morning Pope Francis presented with an asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the application of oxygen at high flows,' announced the Vatican, listing Francis' condition as 'critical.'
(LifeSiteNews) -- Pope Francis, who remains in critical condition, was recently administered a blood transfusion and "high flows" of oxygen, the Vatican announced Saturday, adding that at this time his prognosis is being withheld from the public.
Per the Vatican:
The Holy Father's condition continues to be critical, therefore, as explained yesterday, the Pope is not out of danger.This morning Pope Francis presented with an asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the application of oxygen at high flows.
Today's blood tests also showed plateletopenia, associated with anemia, which required the administration of hemotransfusions.
The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved.
Saturday's update follows Friday's press conference in which the doctors attending to Francis in the Gemelli stated that his condition is “fragile” and warned often that the 88-year-old is not out of danger.
The doctors did mention Friday that Francis was taking oxygen occasionally, but the Saturday update suggests that such use has become more frequent or more intense. Prior to Saturday, there had not been mention of Francis needing hemotransfusions.
Francis was taken to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome last Friday for bronchitis, and since then was diagnosed with double pneumonia in what was described as a “complex” medical scenario. (For full background, see LifeSite’s coverage here.)
