Hospital: PM Breathing Independently
Excerpts;
“A senior neurosurgeon at Tel Hashomer’s Sheba Hospital told Ynet the latest report on Sharon is encouraging, but does not indicate movement or cognitive functioning.”
“‘Independent breathing is positive, but it does not indicate general functioning of the brain. Even in extensive brain damage, when a patient is defined as a ‘vegetable’, it is possible to breathe independently,’ he said.”
Sharon Begins Breathing as Sedation Reduced
Excerpts;
“Senior physicians treating Ariel Sharon at Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem, said Monday that the prime minister had begun breathing on his own after his sedation was reduced but that his condition remains critical and he was still hooked up to a respirator.”
“The level of sedation is to be reduced gradually to gauge Sharon’s responsiveness and the extent to which the 77-year-old leader’s faculties have been impaired. The process could take hours or even days.”
“‘The prime minister started immediately to breathe on his own but he’s still hooked up to a respirator,’ Hadassah Hospital director Dr. Shlomo Mor-Yosef said Monday morning.’
“Physicians were likely to gradually reduce the activity of the respirator, to gauge the extent that the prime minister was capable of maintaining his respiration rate independently, one specialist said.”
Doctors Give Go-Ahead to Effort to Awaken PM From Coma
Excerpts;
“The decision to try to awaken Sharon was taken after a brain scan Sunday indicated that that swelling of the brain had gone down, intra-cranial and blood pressure were within normal range, and that cerebral fluid was draining well.”
“Neurosurgeons said early Monday that the extent of Sharon’s responses could vary widely, from slight movements of the fingers or opening of the eyes, to a much fuller awakening. They have also cautioned that there is no guarantee that Sharon will awaken from the anesthesia.”
“‘The patient does not always awaken when we would like,’ said Dr. Menashe Zaaroor, head of the neurosurgery department of Rambam hospital in Haifa.”