(Rephrasing paras 1 and 2)

Mumbai, May 1 (UNI) In a worrisome development, wounded senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan has developed an acute respiratory distress, necessitating advanced mechanical ventilation, according to doctors attending on him.

In a medical bulletin this afternoon, the Hinduja Hospitcal said, ''Mr Pramod Mahajan continues to be critical and is on multiple organ support in the form of mechanical ventilation, vasopressor therapy and continuous renal replacement therapy (dialysis).'' Hospital Director (Administration) Dr Anupam Verma said ''He is showing signs of evolving an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This is the known and feared complications in patients with extensive multiple trauma, massive blood transfusion and systemic sepsis.'' This, Dr Verma, said ''is a worrying development necessiating advanced mechanical ventilation and posing an immediate cause of concern.'' However, he added ''He is being closely monitored by Dr G B Daver, Dr Farhad Kapadia and team of surgeons and interventionsivists.'' Mr Mahajan, shot and critically injured, allegedly by his younger brother Praveen on April 22, has undergone three surgeries in ten days. The last on Saturday was done to clean up abdominal cavity for preventing infection and for articifial internal feeding and tracheotomy for proper ventilatory support.

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