Aug 1, 2006 6:32 pm US/Eastern
Castro's Condition & Treatment Still Unknown
by Dr. Sean Kenniff
MIAMI (CBS4 News) ―
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Fidel Castro, after he fell following a speech in 2004. His health has been a source of speculation
The intestinal bleeding problem that forced Fidel Castro to temporarily relinquish his presidential powers is believed to be life-threatening.
CBS-4'S Dr. Sean Kenniff spoke to Dr. Howard Manten at the University of Miami who says ongoing gastrointestinal bleeding can be serious and sometimes fatal, regardless of the person's age.
Problems can arise anywhere in the digestive tract from the esophagus, stomach, small intestines, large intestines to the rectum.
Dr. Sean says it is difficult to deduce the cause of Castro's bleeding without knowing what part of the digestive tract is affected.
Causes can include ulcers, gastritis, burst arteries, or diverticulosis which is common in people over the age of 60. So are tumors or polyps. Medications and even poisoning have all been associated with gastrointestinal bleeds.
Dr. Sean says in general, treatment can include blood transfusions to correct blood loss, procedures through special scopes to stop bleeding and sometimes a serious surgery, called a laparatomy, is needed.
With so little information being given out by the Cuban government, it's hard to tell what Fidel Castro's exact medical situation is but Dr. Sean says any operation at his age is a serious situation.
Castro is less than two weeks away from his 80th birthday.
Cubans were reminded of Castro's advancing age when he fell on Oct. 20, 2004, after a public speech, shattering a kneecap and breaking an arm. But the Cuban leader was back on his feet less than two months later, attending to visiting leaders and making public appearances.
Castro has laughed off persistent rumors that his health was failing. Most recently, a 2005 report said he had Parkinson's disease.
On June 23, 2001, Castro fainted briefly while giving a speech in the searing sun, stunning Cubans.
Castro gave up cigars for health reasons decades ago, but still champions one of Cuba's most important exports, worth about $300 million annually.
On rare occasions, Castro did acknowledge his mortality, especially as he grew older.
"I promise that I will be with you, if you so wish, for as long as I feel that I can be useful -- and if it is not decided by nature before. Not a minute less and not a second more," Castro said in March 2003, accepting a sixth term as president of Cuba's governing body.
"Now I understand that it was not my destiny to rest at the end of my life."
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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