Fluids removed but Mahajan remains critical

Mumbai, Apr 28 (UNI) The condition of senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, who suffered a slight setback overnight with his dependence on ventilation and drugs to support blood pressure increasing marginally, remained critical but stable tonight after doctors were able to remove fluids from his chest.

''Medical condition of Mr Pramod Mahajan after CT scan remains the same (as in the morning)... he is on ventilator and CRRT ( continuous renal replacement therapy-read dialysis) ... he is critical but stable....same dose of medicines is being maintained from today morning,'' according to the second medical bulletin read out by hospital's Director (Administration) Dr Anupam Verma at 2000 hrs.

Asked if the fluid from his chest had been removed, Dr Verma replied in the affirmative.

He replied with a firm '' yes '' when asked if today's CT scan was the first since Mr Mahajan was first operated on April 22 for grievous gunshot injuries.

Asked what he meant by Mr Mahajan's condition being stable, he quipped '' condition after CT scan today till this time is stable.'' Earlier, after conducting a CT scan to assess the injuries and collection of fluids in his body today, the Hinduja hospital, in its first medical bulletin, had said ''over the night, his requirement of blood pressure-support drugs and ventilation has marginally gone up.'' Mr Mahajan's dependence on BP-support drugs had been gradually coming down since the past two days, after doctors performed an emergency surgery on Sunday when the 56-year-old BJP leader was put on dialysis and packs to stop bleeding in his liver were replaced.

In the afternoon bulletin, Dr Verma said Mr Mahajan's condition remained critical but he ruled out any surgery as of now, saying the bullets lodged in his body were not of immediate concern.

As revealed in the CT scan, one bullet each was lodged in the muscles and tissue of his back, while the third was embedded in the thoracic vertebra but had not crossed into the spinal canal, Dr Verma said.

The hospital, in its first bulletin immediately after a four-hour surgery on Mr Mahajan on Saturday morning, had said the bullets had shattered his liver, head of pancreas and duodenum (small intestine).

Dr Verma said the scan today also revealed fluid on the left side of his chest but added it was being drained out by a team of doctors led by Dr Gustad B Daver.

He further said injuries of liver and pancreas, seen in the CT scan, ''correlate with the earlier noted findings of (the first) operation'' conducted on Saturday morning, soon after Mr Mahajan was admitted in the hospital with gunshot wounds, allegedly inflicted by his younger brother Pravin.

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