Hope floats: Rahul better, may not need life support

Rahul and his father's Secy fell ill on Friday and were rushed to hospital. Moitra was declared brought dead.

Rahul Mahajan stirred in the Medical ICU-1 at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals on Friday afternoon, giving doctors hope that he should be fit enough to be taken off the ventilator on Saturday.

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Mahajan's physical parameters — such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels and kidney function — are stable.

Along with Rahul, Pramod Mahajan's secretary Vivek Moitra, 38, was also brought to Apollo at 2.55 am, but the latter was declared "brought dead".

Rahul, 31, was brought to Apollo in an unconscious state on suspicion of alcohol and drug overdose. He was suffering from low blood pressure, low pulse rate, and respiratory depression (shallow breathing), which had substantially low oxygen levels in his blood. Intensive resuscitation treatment was started at once and he was placed in the ICU.

		Present Status Rahul is under observation for 72 hrs. He is on life support system with low level of oxygen in blood   Forensic team probing the case   Use of drug not ruled out   Three men visited Rahul, Maitra last night.   They left telling the servants that Maitra and Rahul were not doing well Household staff detained by Delhi Police, house searched   White powder recovered could be cocaine: Police   Three samples sent for toxicology tests to independent lab   BJP leaders visited Rahul in hospital   No sign of disturbances in house: Police   Police file case under Section 175 of CrPC   Rahul, Vivek brought to hospital at 3 am   Rahul Mahajan is stable: Docs   When tragedy struck Mahajans

"There is not much change in his medical condition... He continues to be critical but haemodynamically stable. He is still on ventilator support. All investigations as per protocol, including toxic screen, are under process," said Apollo hospital spokesperson Dr Umesh Gupta.

Though not a known diabetic, Rahul was found to have very high levels of blood sugar. "Diabetes often presents itself when the body is under stress and we suspect that's what happened here,” said a treating doctor. “He responded to treatment very quickly.”