Condition of Heart Patient Improves; Drugs, Sleep Cited
The condition of the first recipient of the Penn State artificial heart improved Wednesday after a day of diminished brain activity, and doctors credited a combination of medication, reduced heart rate and a good night’s sleep.
Anthony Mandia’s status was upgraded from unstable to stable, although he remained critically ill.
“His condition is markedly improved from (Tuesday’s) fluctuating level of consciousness,” said Dr. John W. Burnside, medical spokesman for the Hershey Medical Center. “He is awake and alert with no periods of stupor. He is talking and joking with his nurses and reading his mail.”
Mandia, 44, who is awaiting a human donor heart to replace the man-made pump he received Friday, slipped in and out of deep unconsciousness Tuesday, raising fears of a brain injury.
Burnside said blood vessels in Mandia’s brain apparently went into spasms, a condition known as vasospasms. Doctors are not sure what caused them, he said.
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