Madonna is said by doctors to have looked “exhausted” and “thin” in photos taken days before she collapsed with a “serious bacterial infection”.
The Queen of Pop, 64, was reportedly intubated in intensive care on Saturday, and medics who have looked at images of her in the lead-up to her hospitalisation have said her appearance indicates she was seriously run-down as she rehearsed for her now-postponed ‘Celebration Tour’.
Images analysed by doctors for Mail Online include a set posted by Madonna last week showing her practising for the shows, and sitting by a piano in one of the snaps.
Dr Thomas Moore, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Kansas, told the outlet about the images: “She doesn’t look much like the Madonna I am used to seeing.
“She looks thin from the photos. She does not look well but it is all relevant.
“She is such a dedicated performer that I wonder if she was not feeling well but then pushed herself too far.”
Another image looked at showed Madonna at a Karl Lagerfeld exhibition in New York City the day before she was rushed to hospital.
It showed her with her hair tied into plaits and wearing a cap and sunglasses to hide her appearance.
Dr Stuart Fischer, who is also a former emergency care doctor in New York City and has more than 40 years’ medical experience, said: “She looks exhausted. Intense rehearsing and the stress associated with large-scale performances are undoubtedly risks for immunosuppression and unwanted health issues.
“It’s the responsibility of the physician to point this out. Just because someone is an international celebrity doesn’t mean they’re invulnerable.”
It has not been revealed what serious bacterial infection Madonna suffered, although rumours suggest it could be sepsis – a life-threatening reaction to an infection that sees the immune system attack the body.
Sepsis is triggered when the bacteria gets into the bloodstream and can enter through cuts, wounds and the digestive system, among other areas.
Dr Fischer believes sepsis is the most likely explanation and said that the star should not have been discharged from the hospital so early.
He added: “This discharge might put her life in jeopardy. No matter how hard (celebrities) push you, you don’t discharge them so quickly.
“They may be a celebrity on the outside, but on the inside, everyone is the same and has the same organs.”
Mum-of-six Madonna was said to have been back home on Thursday, but TMZ has reported she is bedridden and “constantly vomiting” as she recovers.
