who is the nurse "saved his life" to Pope Francis and how his lung condition is treated

Massimiliano StrappettiPope Francis’ personal nurse, is one of the members of Pope Francis’ medical team who recommended this wednesday his admission to the Gemelli hospital in Rome due to a “respiratory infection”, according to the statement released by the Vatican. However, it is not the first time that Tear them up intercede for the health of the pontiff.

In July 2021, the pope had to be operated on by a symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon. After finishing the Sunday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, Francisco had told the specialist that he had some pain, for which he was hospitalized at the Gemelli medical center and underwent the corresponding operation. Since then, the pope defined Strappetti as “The man who saved my life.”

Regarding his career, the man served several years in the Gemelli intensive care unit. Indeed, before becoming a trusted assistant to Pope Francis, he had already assisted as a nurse at John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

This is a 54-year-old professional, married, who in August of last year was appointed nurse coordinator of the Vatican Health and Hygiene Directorate.

In recognition of his work, Francisco had appointed Tear them up as your “Personal Health Assistant”. This gesture was explained by Vatican sources, who remarked that “The Pope wanted to give official recognition to the person who is close to him on a daily basis and is the one who assists him closest“.

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What is the indicated treatment for the respiratory condition suffered by Pope Francis

This Wednesday, 86-year-old Pope Francis had to be admitted to the Gemelli hospital (Rome) due to a respiratory infectionfor which his agenda was suspended “in case he has to carry out more tests,” according to a Vatican source.

The medical controls “revealed a respiratory infection (excluding Covid), which will require several days of adequate hospital medical treatment“, the Pope’s spokesman, Matteo Bruni, specified in the note.

The pulmonologist Oscar Rizzo, who coordinates the Emergency Department of the María Ferrer Hospital, explained to infobae that “the most common lung infection at the pope’s age is pneumonia, the risk of which increases with age. Pneumonia at 50 years of age is not the same as at 70 or 80. The risks increase with age and this is basically due to the aging of the immune mechanisms of the elderly”.

“They can respond to antibiotics and require the administration of intravenous antibiotics, especially if there are risk factors such as decreased oxygenation or the extent of the disease. The fact that he has had a previous pneumonectomy obviously means that he has a slightly lower lung capacity than would correspond to someone who did not have it and that is also a risk that increases it, ”explained the specialist in said medium.

Another doctor specializing in pulmonology, Gabriela Tabaj, clarified that “when speaking of “lung infection” reference is made to pneumonia. It would be necessary to evaluate the case in detail, but on some occasions what is called “bronchiectasis” can remain, which are sequelae at the pulmonary level that make it difficult to eliminate secretions with their subsequent infection. In these cases, pneumonias are recurrent, which would not be the case with the pope.”

“In older adults, pneumonia can present with more serious symptoms. Such is the case that anti-pneumococcal vaccination is recommended in adults over 65 years of age or in people with previous respiratory or cardiological pathologies”, contributed the registered professional.

Regarding the treatment of the condition that Pope Francis suffers from, Dr. Laura Pulido explained in the aforementioned medium that it is very important “Early initiation of antibiotic treatment”.

“It should be administered within 4 hours of diagnosis, since a reduction in morbidity and mortality has been shown, as well as in hospital stay. Adult patients with pneumonia are divided into different groups, based on the greatest or lower risk of having a complicated evolution, that is, of the prognostic factors of severity”.

Lastly, the doctor remarked that “severity scales are used for this, the most widely used being the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) where each group of patients with pneumonia has a different treatment. Adult patients with pneumonia are divided into different groups, depending on the greater or lesser risk of having a complicated evolution, that is, the prognostic factors of severity.

CA/ED