Pope suffered bronchial spasm, ‘sudden worsening,’ Vatican says in health update [Video]

Pope Francis suffered an isolated coughing fit on Friday that resulted in him inhaling vomit, requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation, the Vatican said in relaying a setback in his two-week long battle against double pneumonia.

The Pope, 88, remained conscious and alert at all times and co-operated with the manoeuvres to help him recover. He responded well, with a good level of oxygen exchange, and was continuing to wear a mask to receive supplemental oxygen, the Vatican said.

The development marked a setback in what had been two successive days of increasingly upbeat reports from doctors treating Francis at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14.

The episode, which occurred in the early afternoon, resulted in a “sudden worsening of the respiratory picture.” Doctors decided to keep Francis’s prognosis as guarded and indicated they needed 24 to 48 hours to evaluate how and if the episode has impacted his overall clinical condition.

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