George H.W. Bush discharged from hospital after pneumonia, bronchitis

Bush was treated for a mild case of pneumonia and chronic bronchitis before his discharge Friday morning, spokesman Jim McGrath said.

“President and Mrs. Bush are very pleased to be home spending time with family and friends, and grateful for the outstanding care provided by his doctors and nurses,” he said.

Bush was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital on April 14 with a persistent cough. Doctors determined that the 41st president had pneumonia and successfully treated him, McGrath said.

Dr. Clint Doerr, a pulmonologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, said on Tuesday that despite Bush’s recovery, he continued to deal with chronic bronchitis, “a condition more prevalent with age.”

“This means his airway has a constant, low-level of inflammation that can aggravate the symptoms of pneumonia,” Doerr said.

McGrath said last week that Bush would remain hospitalized as a precaution ahead a scheduled trip to Maine with his wife, Barbara Bush.

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“President Bush feels terrific and is buoyed by regular visits from his family and phone calls with friends such as (former Vice  President) Dan Quayle,” he said.

The hospitalization is the second this year for Bush. He was hospitalized for two weeks in January with a case of bacterial pneumonia. His wife, Barbara Bush, was also briefly hospitalized with viral bronchitis.