Doctors rule out Corona’s return in 48 hours

The Medical city in Ortigas Pasig City SVP Dr. Eugenio f. Ramos releases the results of CJ Renato Corona's test after he was sent to the hospital, tuesday night due to Hypoglycemia. Corona remains at the ICU for close monitoring.INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Doctors monitoring the condition of Chief Justice Renato Corona fear a possible heart attack and are ruling out his return to the Senate impeachment tribunal in the next 48 hours to resume his testimony.

Corona, who is in the intensive care unit, was “awake and showing stable vital signs,” according to a medical bulletin issued at 10 a.m. yesterday by Dr. Eugenio Jose Ramos, senior vice president in The Medical City in Pasig City, endocrinologist Dr. Michael Villa and cardiologist Dr. Mariann Almajar.

The 63-year-old Chief Justice was rushed to the hospital past 7 p.m. on Tuesday after complaining of shortness of breath, cold sweats, and light-headedness.

Hooked to cardiac monitoring devices at the ICU, Corona was considered a high-risk patient due to his present state.

“His kidney functions poorly. He had two heart bypass surgeries in 1995 and 2008. He had a hypoglycemia (Tuesday) along with his complaint of shortness of breath. (There is) a possibility of an acute coronary event or heart attack,” Ramos explained.

These were the main reasons the Chief Justice was moved to the ICU around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

“On the medical side, it is prudent to keep him there (at the ICU) for 48 hours… It would not be prudent to clear him to go to the Senate trial,” Ramos told reporters.

Diabetic for past 20 years

Corona has been a diabetic for the past 20 years, he said, and has been “on daily insulin, with complications involving both kidneys and the heart.”

Ramos said hypoglycemia, or a case of low blood sugar, could have triggered Corona’s heart problems since he was unable to take his lunch on Tuesday before he appeared at the impeachment trial.

The diabetes also caused his kidney problems which contributed to the rise of the “Troponin T level,” which according to Supreme Court spokesperson Midas Marquez, led to the doctors’ diagnosis of a “possible heart attack.”

Anne de la Cruz later clarified that although an elevated Troponin was an indication of a heart attack, in Corona’s case, the kidney problem was the contributing factor.

Ramos said there was no sign that Corona had a heart attack but upon their observation, his heart does not function normally. Corona was allowed to eat and intravenous fluids were not attached to him.

“But these are being readied in case something happened,” Ramos said.

His blood sugar, on the other hand, had stabilized as of Wednesday morning. “After taking soda and biscuits, we continued to monitor his blood sugar. It is now under control, which is now 120,” said endocrinologist Michael Villa.

Team of Senate docs

Ramos said Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile sent a team of Senate doctors to the hospital and was allowed to check on Corona’s condition.

Doctors at The Medical City are set to issue another medical bulletin on Thursday afternoon with the permission of Corona’s family.

Supreme Court employees on Wednesday held a Mass to pray for the swift recovery of Corona. “They won’t be able to put down a good man. That’s our sentiment here,” said Mercy Gutierrez, a member of the group that organized the Mass.

“We wish him well so he will be ready for Friday’s hearing,” said Malacañang deputy spokesperson Abigal Valte. With reports from Philip C. Tubeza and Christine O. Avendano