CBS NEWS – Pope Francis has a complex infection in his respiratory system and will require more targeted drug treatment, according to Vatican authorities Monday.
He has been hospitalized since Friday at Rome’s Gemelli hospital after coming down with bronchitis the week before, the Vatican said.
Officials said the 88-year-old pope is suffering from a “polymicrobial respiratory tract infection,” but gave no further details on the severity of his illness or what would change in his treatment.
Here’s a look at the Pope’s latest diagnosis and what his treatment could involve.
What is a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection?
Essentially, it means there’s a mix of bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites growing in someone’s lungs.
“Often times, people will get a bronchitis or an airway infection and that can often start a cascade of multiple problems, including infections in the lungs,” said Dr. Maor Sauler, who specializes in adult pulmonary and critical care medicine at Yale University’s School of Medicine. He said such issues were common in older people whose immune systems might be weaker or had complex health issues.
“It likely means he has more than one organism in his lungs,” Sauler said, explaining that the pope’s doctors might have to adjust his treatment to make sure the antibiotics attack all the various organisms.
How serious is polymicrobial respiratory tract infection?
For someone with the pope’s medical history — he lost part of his right lung decades ago and has previously had pneumonia — it’s worrying that he’s been hospitalized.
Dr. Nick Hopkinson, medical director of Asthma + Lung UK, said most healthy people would likely recover quickly from bronchitis.
But in people whose lungs are already damaged, “bacteria can come and colonize the airways … and you start to see infections which makes it more difficult to treat” …
