Symptoms of pneumonia after ex New York mayor Rudy Giuliani hospitalized in 'critical condition'
The man once known as 'America's Mayor' remains hospitalized in a critical condition after doctors were forced to place Rudy Giuliani on a ventilator following a nasty pneumonia infection with some telltale symptoms.
The 81-year-old former New York City Mayor has spent the 24 years since his term ended, in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, attempting to galvanize public support in favor of a number of Republican candidates - most famously President Trump.
While he rose to national fame in the 1980s for his prosecution of the city's 'Five Families' Mafia, his attempts to influence a change in outcome for Trump's failed 2020 re-election bid landed the now-disbarred lawyer with over $1 billion in defamation damages.
The hospitalization in Florida over the weekend saw the former mayor deteriorate into a critical condition, with even a priest called to offer Giuliani his last rites. But his physician has told Fox News that he must have 'nine lives', as he appears to be on the mend.
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It became apparent that Giuliani's health was deteriorating during his nightly internet talk show on Friday, where he was frequently coughing and shared that he felt 'a little under the weather'. These are actually among the most common pneumonia symptoms.
The former mayor's spokesperson Ted Goodman explained in a statement that called his boss 'the ultimate fighter', also explaining that Giuliani's respiratory health has been permanently damaged by his exposure to toxic dust and other materials on 9/11.
Goodman said: “This condition adds complications to any respiratory illness, and the virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition.”
But his physician Dr Maria Ryan has been bullish about her patient's chances, sharing that he is now in a stable, but critical, condition, after being taken off the ventilator.
"He’s a fighter — the way he was yesterday in such a critical condition, he did have a priest come anoint him," she told Fox. "And all the prayers from around — it’s like a miracle. This guy’s got 9 lives, today he’s doing much better."
Pneumonia can be caused by a number of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, with everything from Covid to the common cold and even toxoplasmosis sometimes causing this dangerous build up of fluid in the lungs.
These causes of the illness are often referred to as different types, with community-acquired pneumonia the most common and can be acquired during your daily activities. This is also typically less serious than forms of hospital acquired pneumonia, which tend to be triggered by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in healthcare settings.
Pneumonia symptoms
Pneumonia is an infection that causes a build up of fluid in your lungs, triggering a number of potentially life-threatening symptoms that can persist for between two and four weeks. In this way, while the condition is not contagious, its causes are.
The symptoms of pneumonia can start suddenly or gradually over time, with the intensity of each symptom depending on what caused the condition in the first place, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- High fever (~105F)
- Cyanosis (blue skin, lips, or nails)
- Cough with mucus (yellow, green, or bloody)
- Sweating/Chills
- Fatigue/Weakness
- Chest pain and/or abdominal pain, typically with a cough
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid heart rate
- Lack of appetite
- Confusion
If this pneumonia was caused by a viral infection, patients will typically present first with a dry cough, headache, or muscle pain, with these symptoms developing over the course of several days.
Bacterial pneumonia has a less typical presentation, with symptoms triggering either gradually or all at once. It is also worth remembering that these symptoms can present differently in babies, the elderly, and people living with weakened immune systems.
Topics: Rudy Giuliani, Health, US News, Donald Trump, New York
William Morgan