President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) had to cancel a trip to Russia due to an internal accident.
According to a note published on the president's website on Sunday (10/20), Lula “will not travel to the BRICS summit in Kazan due to a temporary ban on long-distance air travel.”
“The President will participate in the BRICS summit by videoconference and will have a normal work schedule this week in Brasilia, at the Planaldo Palace,” the speech concludes.
According to a bulletin published by the Sírio-Libanês Hospital, the President was treated in Brasilia on Saturday (10/19) “after a domestic accident, with a blunt wound in the occipital region.”
“After evaluation by the medical team, he was advised to avoid long-distance air travel and was allowed to carry out his other activities,” the bulletin describes.
According to the hospital, Lula was “supervised by the medical team, Prof. Dr. Roberto Galil Filho and Dr. Supervised by Ana Helena Germoglio.”
In an interview with O Globo newspaper, Khalil Filho described tests carried out over the weekend that showed “small bruises” on his brain after “serious trauma” to the back of his head.
According to the doctor, “it is unlikely that this hematoma will develop.”
What are “blunt injuries” and the “occipital region”?
Although the term may seem a bit complicated, a “blunt injury” is nothing more than a combination of cut and bruise after a blow or impact.
This injury usually affects not only the skin but also some internal tissues and causes bleeding.
The Syrian-Lebanese medical team reported that the president received five stitches to close the wound.
According to press reports in the last few hours, Lula was sitting on a bench making the final preparations for her trip to Russia when she collapsed in the bathroom. He reportedly fell backwards and hit his head.
Hence comes the explanation of the second term mentioned in the Bulletin of the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital: the occipital region covers the back of the skull, almost bordering the neck and the back of the head.
What is a 'brain injury'?
In general, the term hematoma refers to blood that forms in some part of the body, often clotted.
“A hematoma is usually caused by a blood vessel damaged by surgery or trauma,” the US National Cancer Institute website explains.
“It can occur anywhere in the body, including the brain. Most lesions are minor and disappear on their own, but some may require surgical removal,” the text adds.
Khalil Filho explained that for G1, Lula's condition requires re-examinations during the week, which is standard for this type of event and allows us to verify how the injury has evolved and if any intervention or treatment is necessary.
“Any brain hemorrhage may increase in the following days. So care is important,” said the doctor, highlighting that the president is “well” and “able to function normally.”
In addition to the need for follow-up and retesting in the coming days, another factor that contributed to the trip cancellation was the length of the flight to Kazan, Russia.
According to a study by the Civil Aviation Authority of the United Kingdom and the University of Oxford, in England, Lula may have to spend a long time on the plane, whose cabin pressure will cause some changes in blood circulation and blood pressure.
These factors could, in theory, worsen the president's condition or have unintended consequences: as a precaution and under the direction of his medical team, he will participate in the BRICS summit via the Internet.
The Brazilian delegation to the event will be led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira.
