Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is in critical condition after suffering an intracerebral brain hemorrhage on Wednesday night. He was rushed to a Jerusalem hospital where he underwent a seven hour surgery to stop the bleeding.

Shlomo Mor-Yosef, director general of the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, said Sharon's vital signs are in order.

Hospital sources said that in a best case scenario, Sharon will be hospitalized for a long time and later go through a lengthy rehabilitation period.

The Ynetnews.com website, an Israeli news source, reported that Sharon was "clinging to life" early Thursday morning, but his condition had been upgraded to serious but stable by 2 p.m. that afternoon. Israeli time is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

The hemorrhage appears to be a rare side effect of the blood-thinning medication Sharon was taking after the minor stroke he suffered on Dec. 18. The medicines were intended to prevent another stroke.

A recent article published in the November 2005 edition of the journal Stroke, found that about two-thirds of cerebral hemorrhage patients who take anticoagulants are likely to die.

According to the article, blood thinners are a double-edged sword for stroke victims. Without them, they have a high risk of another stroke. But if stroke victims take the drugs, they risk an even deadlier cerebral hemorrhage. Once a blood vessel bursts, the clotting activity that would contain the problem is blocked by the medication.

Israel's Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon said Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has temporarily taken over Sharon's duties.

Sharon is currently running for a third term as prime minister. Elections are set for the end of March.

This Article is from MyDNA.com

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