Bill Clinton in Hospital, Doing Okay, Hillary Heads to NY

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 04:17:00 PM EST
Tags: Bill Clinton (all tags)

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Former President Bill Clinton was hospitalized today for heart issues. According to his spokesman, he's okay and had two stents implanted:

Today President Bill Clinton was admitted to the Columbia Campus of New York Presbyterian Hospital after feeling discomfort in his chest. Following a visit to his cardiologist, he underwent a procedure to place two stents in one of his coronary arteries. President Clinton is in good spirits, and will continue to focus on the work of his Foundation and Haiti's relief and long-term recovery efforts. In 2004, President Clinton underwent a successful quadruple bypass operation to free four blocked arteries.

Send good thoughts his way.

Update: ABC News reports Hillary Clinton is en route to New York. Follow the Clinton Foundations' twitter feed for updates. He's already a trending topic. CNN reports Chelsea is at the hospital too.

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Bill Clinton in Hospital, Doing Okay, Hillary Heads to NY | 37 comments (37 topical)

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Good luck to WJC. (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 04:17:27 PM EST

On a related note, I was advised recently of the new CPR procedure.

Apparently the old procedure of alternating mouth-to-mouth with chest pumping has been modified now to just chest pumping.

They say the blood in the body has enough oxygen in it to keep the brain and the rest of the body alive for a long time, like 20 minutes or more.

Therefor, they say, by pumping the chest hard at around 100 pumps/minute you will force the heart to pump this oxygen-rich blood through the body and keep the person alive.

Another tip (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 05:45:38 PM EST

If you keep aspirin on hand in case you have angina/chest pain/potential heart attack and need to take it right away, make sure it's NOT enteric coated. Chewable aspirin is one of the best choices, since it's more quickly absorbed.


Translation please (none / 0) (#24)
by shoephone on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 09:17:33 PM EST

What is "enteric-coated"? Besides the chewable option, which brands are or aren't enteric-coated?


From Medicine.Net (none / 0) (#25)
by Anne on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 09:32:40 PM EST

Enteric-coated: Coated with a material that permits transit through the stomach to the small intestine before the medication is released.

Ecotrin is an enteric-coated aspirin; my mother takes one 81 mg tablet daily as an additional blod-clot preventing aid (she also takes Plavix).


Unless (none / 0) (#27)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 09:50:10 PM EST

Enteric coated means that it has a coating on it that allows the aspirin to pass relatively undisturbed through the stomach to the small intestine where it is absorbed. Theoretically the coating is supposed to prevent stomach upset because the aspirin doesn't dissolve in the stomach. However, because aspirin's stomach upset is greatly due to it's inherent benefit AND side effect of inhibiting prostaglandins (which in the stomach are protective), enteric aspirin may not be as protective to the stomach as once thought.

Unless it says it's enteric coated, it's probably not. Many brands have both enteric and non-enteric aspirin. Ask the pharmacist at whatever pharmacy you go to. The jury is out about whether enteric coated aspirin is as effective as regular aspirin for blood thinning. But it's always better safe than sorry in a heart attack case. Just keep the non-enteric coated around -- in case.

Here's the best article I could find on the subject in a 2-minute tired google: Link


Mine is clearly marked that it is coated (none / 0) (#28)
by nycstray on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 09:52:48 PM EST

I buy the low dose therapy aspirin (generic) because I tend to be sensitive (must be my child like weight, lol!~) to OTC drugs. Mine's marked right on the front of the label saying it's coated in a readable sized type. My first aid kit has non-coated reg aspirin in it.


: Thanks for all three responses! (none / 0) (#35)
by shoephone on Fri Feb 12, 2010 at 01:31:16 AM EST

Coincidentally, I did end up at the drug store a couple hours after posting my question, and talked to the pharmacist about it. So... now I am the neighborhood expert on aspirin coatings!

Thanks for this update. I already (none / 0) (#3)
by hairspray on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 04:30:35 PM EST

knew about it. But many do not. Often a person has frothy/stomach contents in his/her mouth and it takes a hero to be willing to do mouth-to mouth
under those conditions. This makes it much easier to get a willing assister when chest compressions are all that are required.


The other thing, sarcastic unnamed, (none / 0) (#8)
by Zorba on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 05:08:03 PM EST

that people need to know is the importance of having an automated external defibrillator available. Supposedly, you need training, but they have such easy instructions, almost anyone can use them in an emergency. A friend of my husband's was saved because of one of these. They should be available in every public space. And my thoughts and best wishes go out to Clinton and his family.


Yep, (none / 0) (#9)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 05:27:52 PM EST

Almost two years ago, one of the (none / 0) (#15)
by Anne on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 07:46:17 PM EST

secretaries collapsed in the ladies room, and by the time she was discovered, all efforts at CPR were for naught; she had had a massive heart attack and even the AED we had was not able to revive her.

Still, in addition to the all-volunteer CPR team we've had at the firm for some time, and the two AED's - one on each floor - we now have a phone in each of the bathrooms that once the receiver is lifted, will automatically call either the reception desk - during regular office hours - or 911 - after hours.

One thing the firm has done since that awful event is keep all of us current on CPR procedure, including that it is better to just do rapid chest compressions instead of the compression and respiration.

I have to say that that day was one of the worst in the firm's history, but, everyone on the CPR team acted quickly and professionally until official help arrived.

There's some comfort in knowing we have the equipment and CPR-trained personnel, but even so, we all hope we never again have a need for either.


I pumped on a colleague's chest (none / 0) (#16)
by jeffinalabama on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 07:56:28 PM EST

until the paramedics got there. I was sweat covered and the paramedics took me to the hospital as well. My colleague didn't make it. Not from lack of trying. Someone else was doing the breathing. I think if I'd done bot I would have hyperventilated.

this happened while teaching, not while in the military, jst to clarify.


Oh, (none / 0) (#20)
by Ga6thDem on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 08:09:18 PM EST

how awful. I'm sorry to hear that. It must have beeen quite an experience.


I'd repeat it (none / 0) (#23)
by jeffinalabama on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 08:54:34 PM EST

but hope for a better outcome. It did add to my love of people and life, though. It gave me some semblace of understanding, I think/hope, of why John-Paul chose to suffer in his last hours. I'm not Catholic, and certainly pro-choice. But trying to maintain a life, even of a stranger, has become important to me.


: You know, you go through the training, (none / 0) (#26)
by Anne on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 09:39:47 PM EST

and most of the time, you never have to use it; to be called upon to put that training to use, and then to have it end with death, is just devastating.
Even though the medical personnel assured the team that our co-worker was already gone by the time CPR was initiated, they still re-played it over and over looking for something they could have done that would have changed the outcome - that is about as human a reaction as it is possible to have.
You can only do the best you can at the time, and under the circumstances; that you placed yourself in a position to try to save someone's life is, in and of itself, both admirable and humbling.

Prayers for Clinton (5.00 / 5) (#2)
by athyrio on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 04:20:07 PM EST

Hope the docs were able to open his arteries up and he will live yet a long and productive life..

Amen to that! (5.00 / 2) (#5)
by kempis on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 05:03:39 PM EST

Bill has really done himself proud since leaving office. I hope he stays well and keeps moving mountains to help poor people around the globe. And it would be nice to see a Nobel Prize tossed his way at some point. After all, he has actually accomplished an enormous amount to alleviate poverty and suffering in underdeveloped nations.

Since he left office? (none / 0) (#30)
by hairspray on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 11:20:29 PM EST

: well, he did a good job in office, too. (none / 0) (#36)
by kempis on Fri Feb 12, 2010 at 05:03:05 AM EST

I was just thinking of his life now and post-presidency.

Thoughts & Best Wishes to President Clinton, (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by snstara on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 05:00:49 PM EST

the Secretary of State, and Chelsea. Get well soon, Big Dog!

Thinking of you, Big Dog. Take care, get well (5.00 / 2) (#6)
by Angel on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 05:05:44 PM EST

and keep spreading your goodwill and kindness throughout the world!

He's given so much of himself. (5.00 / 2) (#7)
by observed on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 05:06:42 PM EST

He's really amazing.

The former President (5.00 / 3) (#10)
by christinep on Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 05:39:13 PM EST

To me, President Clinton stands as a reminder of America at its best in many, many ways. All too human, he led--through innovation and sheer determination--this country through an amazing transition period from the Cold War to the Age