Blair admitted to hospital

[MIKE BURN]

Quote:

---

Sunday, 19 October, 2003, 19:41 GMT 20:41 UK



BBC / London



The prime minister was admitted to hospital at lunchtime on Sunday suffering from an irregular heart beat.



Downing Street has confirmed that Tony Blair went to London's Hammersmith Hospital after complaining of feeling "a little under the weather".



BBC correspondent Clarence Mitchell said Mr Blair, who is 50, was kept in for five to six hours.



He underwent a series of tests but later returned home to Downing Street where he was said to be feeling "fine".



Doctors established that he had an irregular heart beat which causes fluctuations and palpitations.



A procedure known as a cardio conversion was carried out, our correspondent said.





Acute admission



Senior hospital sources have told the BBC that Mr Blair was admitted suffering from supra ventricular tachycardia - a condition where the sufferer feels very unwell, with serious heart irregularities and shortness of breath.



It is understood the father-of-four was an acute admission, as the condition needs to be dealt with quickly, rather than by appointment.



Medical sources say a sufferer would have been treated either with chemicals or an electric shock to rectify their heartbeat quickly.



They would then have been kept in hospital for some hours to assess their response.



Mr Blair has been under a great deal of stress in recent months, particularly after the strains of the war in Iraq.



But it is not known how much this contributed to his condition.

---