PTI

Mumbai, May 1: Senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan continues to be critical and he has developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a top medical officer treating him said on Monday.

"Mahajan’s condition has been very critical for the last nine days. He has developed ARDS and therefore ventilatory support has gone up today," Director (Professional Services), of Hinduja Hospital, Gustad Daver, who heads the doctors team treating the BJP leader told PTI in Mumbai.

Medication for maintaining the blood pressure and continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) were continued, he said.

"The first injury after he received bullet itself was very bad and most important success, which we could achieve was to stop the bleeding especially from liver and inferior venacava," he said.

Daver said, "Within eight minutes of the severely injured Mahajan’s arrival at the hospital on April 22, 2006, we took him to operation theatre... time was very crucial as he we was profusely bleeding."

Any delay would have been problematic, he added.

Asked whether any chance of removing the bullets from his body, he said as it is already mentioned in the health bulletin last week, the bullets are lodged in such a way that they are not of immediate concern.

"Our concern now is to stabilise his condition and controlling the infection," Daver said.