Brazilian Football Legend Pelé Is Transferred to Special Care Unit and Goes Through Hemodialysis

11/28/2014 - 09h05

Pelé was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital on Monday, November 24th, following tests were carried out after an operation revealed urinary infection.

Pelé, 74, was transferred to the special care unit on Thursday afternoon, November 27th.

According to the medical report released on Thursday at 8pm, he is "under temporary treatment for kidney support [hemodialysis], with no need for any other support treatment".

Folha has heard that Pelé showed signs of sepsis, which begun with a kidney infection that did not respond to antibiotics and led to renal failure.

This means that this organ has stopped filtering impurities from the blood. The hemodialysis machine is carrying out this function.

Sepsis has a number of stages and, if it is not controlled quickly and appropriately, it can be fatal.

For this reason, Pelé's medical team has made the decision to start him on stronger antibiotics and put him through hemodialysis in the special care unit.

The fact that he is an elderly patient (despite his seemingly good health) means that it is likely that his condition could worsen.

On Thursday afternoon the president of Albert Einstein Hospital, Claudio Lottemberg, had ruled out sepsis but said he was not authorized by Pelé's family to give any further information.

Translated by CRISTIANE COSTA LIMA

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