People News

George Michael`s £100,000 life-saving bed

By Vicky Allison Nov 28, 2011, 17:33 GMT

Singer George Michael pays a visit to BBC Radio 2 studios to be interviewed for \'Comic Relief\'. George look tanned and gave a big smile to the crowd outside the studios, London, UK. - Ian Lawrence / Splash News

Singer George Michael is on a £100,000 life-saving bed made for critically-ill lung patients, according to reports.

The former Wham! star had been ordered by doctors to stay in hospital in Vienna, Austria after contracting pneumonia.

And it has now been claimed that George has developed acute respiratory distress - a new complication that stops oxygen getting into the blood.

The star is apparently now being treated on a Triadyne Proventa bed, which is for people with pneumonia who are unable to move.

Doctor Carol Cooper told British newspaper The Sun: 'The bed has probably saved his life so far. But he is far from out of the woods yet.'

Michael has supposedly been strapped in the bed - which constantly tilts from side-to-side up to 40 degrees to relieve pressure on his lungs.

Dr. Cooper said: 'These beds are lifesavers and exceptionally expensive, even to use. With the lungs not functioning well, the heart has to pump harder to shift the blood around the body, which would make it harder to survive. This bed tries to get the lungs functioning as best they can.

'The movement helps shift secretions inside the lung to make sure they don't collect and make you worse. But if he is still being cared for like this, he is very seriously ill.'

She added: 'He is in a critical condition, which means he could die. We still don't know why pneumonia affects some people more than others. But if you are middle-aged, and maybe with other problems such as with your immune system, your outlook is not so good.'