Mahajan develops respiratory trouble

This has led to increased ventilatory support for the senior BJP leader.

Senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan has developed an acute respiratory problem, leading to increase in ventilatory support on Monday, and the condition remains "very critical".

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"Mahajan's condition has been very critical for the last nine days. He has developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and therefore ventilatory support has gone up today," Director (Professional Services), Hinduja Hospital, Gustad Daver, who heads the team of doctors treating him, said.

The condition is "very serious and we are closely monitoring him on hourly basis", he said adding the medication to maintain the blood pressure, besides the Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT), continue.

On the possibility of removing bullets from the body, Daver said they were lodged in such a way that these were not of immediate concern. "Our concern now is to stabilise his condition and control the infection".

Asked about the condition of pancreas, Davar said, "We will not be doing anything with the pancreas as the organ is badly damaged. We will only be drying out the fluid. Both duodenum and pancreas are badly damaged."

"Within eight minutes of the severely injured Mahajan's arrival at the hospital on April 22 morning, we took him to the operation theatre... Time was very crucial as he was profusely bleeding," Daver said.

Mahajan, shot at and critically injured by his younger brother Praveen on April 22, on Saturday underwent surgical procedures to clean abdominal cavity for preventing infection and jejunostomy (for artificial internal feeding) and tracheotomy (for proper ventilatory support).