WASHINGTON – Former President Bill Clinton is "on the mend" after he was hospitalized for a urological infection that developed into a blood infection known as sepsis, according to one of his aides.
The 75-year-old was admitted to the University of California Irvine Medical Center after feeling fatigued Tuesday night, according to the aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss Clinton's condition.
The former president is still recovering according to statements from his spokesman and two physicians.
"He was admitted to the hospital for close monitoring and administered IV antibiotics and fluids. He remains at the hospital for continuous monitoring," according to a joint statement released Thursday by Dr. Alpesh Amin and Dr. Lisa Bardack. "We hope to have him go home soon."
After two days of treatment, Clinton's white-blood count "is trending down and he is responding to antibiotics well," according to the physicians. The doctors said the California-based medical team has been in touch with his doctors in New York, including his cardiologist.
Clinton was in Southern California for a Clinton Foundation event for his first trip to the West Coast since coronavirus restrictions have eased, another aide said.The former president has been walking around, reading, texting and joking with hospital staff, according to the aide.
"He is on the mend, in good spirits, and is incredibly thankful to the doctors, nurses, and staff providing him with excellent care," Clinton spokesman Angel Urena said.
Sepsis is a generic infection in the bloodstream that can develop from an infection in the lung, urinary tract, skin or gastrointestinal tract, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An aide clarified Clinton did not go into septic shock, which is a life-threatening condition that occurs with a severe drop in blood pressure.
In the years since Clinton left the White House in 2001, the former president has faced a string of health scares. In 2004, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery after experiencing prolonged chest pains and shortness of breath. He returned to the hospital for surgery for a partially collapsed lung in 2005, and in 2010 had a pair of stents implanted in a coronary artery.
During his two terms at the White House from 1993 to 2001, Clinton was fitted with a hearing aid and struggled with weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure. By the end of his presidency, Clinton was given a prescription to lower his cholesterol and underwent surgery to remove a pre-cancerous lesion from his back.
Contributing: Jessica Estepa, USA TODAY; Associated Press
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