LONDON - Pope Francis developed pneumonia in both lungs, further complicating the pope's resuscitation, Vatican officials said late Tuesday. The 88-year-old pope was hospitalized Friday after a week of worsening bronchitis. On Monday, doctors said he had developed multiple infections in his respiratory tract.

The Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Francis “had a quiet night, woke up and had breakfast,” he said he was energetic. Here are what a pneumonia diagnosis might mean, potential treatments doctors may be trying:

What happened?

Pope Francis was in a "fair" state at the Gemilli Hospital in Rome on Friday after bronchitis worsened. On Monday, doctors said he had experienced most respiratory infections, or viruses, bacteria and possibly other organisms growing in the respiratory tract.

The Vatican said late Tuesday that a chest scan showed he had pneumonia in both lungs and needed other medications.

When the airways in the lungs (called bronchial tubes) become inflamed, bronchitis occurs, causing cough and mucus production. This infection sometimes spreads to the lungs, causing pneumonia, which is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by infection.

How serious is this?

The doctor said that pneumonia in anyone can be severe, but for those in the Pope’s era, it was particularly worrying.

"Like older people, the risk factor for more severe infections," said Dr. Meredith McCormack, PhD, director of medical care at Johns Hopkins University. One, like being older, that means anyone.”

Although the pope lost a portion of his right lung decades ago, McCormack said it would not necessarily harm his recovery, adding that she would be more concerned about any possible weakness of his holyness.

“Being a more vulnerable older person may increase the risk of complications,” she said, noting that the necessity to use a wheelchair can be seen as a sign of vulnerability. The Pope has been relying on a wheelchair for more than two years.

However, it seems that the Pope is not the bed. A Vatican official said he was able to get up and his heart functioned well.

What kind of treatment methods are there?

In addition to antibiotic medications, there are a variety of therapies, including supplemental oxygen and therapy to support the lungs and body when trying to recover.

Dr Andrew Chadwick, a respiratory and intensive care expert at Oxford University Hospital in the UK, said steroids and antibiotics will be the core elements of the Pope’s care, as well as nursing and chest physiotherapy.

Physical therapy can help patients clear fluids from their lungs, especially if they are not very mobile themselves.

McCormack of Johns Hopkins said severe cases of pneumonia are usually treated for about one to two weeks, but recovery for older people may exceed that.

What will doctors look for in the next few days?

Mainly, they hope that the Pope's situation will not worsen further.

“Although we offer antibiotics and other therapies, we are waiting for the body to respond,” McCormack said. “If he just keeps himself like he is fighting an infection and gradually recovering, the lack of deterioration would be an encouraging signal.” .”

Dr. Maor Sauler, who specializes in adult lung and intensive care at Yale University, said antibiotics usually require lung efforts to recover from infections, including pneumonia, but the lungs have the ability to recover as they age.

"When anyone has pneumonia, it's very likely that we can treat it," he said. "But that's one of the main causes of death. So in some cases, despite our best efforts, we The infection is still not cleared."

- Nicole Winfield of Rome contributed to this report.