George H.W. Bush In Intensive Care; Barbara Bush Also Hospitalized

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Former President George H.W. Bush has been placed in intensive care for an acute respiratory problem, his spokesman says, and Barbara Bush has been hospitalized "as a precaution."

The former president had breathing problems "stemming from pneumonia," spokesman Jim McGrath says, and was sedated before a procedure to clear his airway. He is in stable condition, McGrath says.

The former first lady was experiencing fatigue and coughing, he says.

Bush was brought to a Houston-area hospital on Saturday after experiencing shortness of breath. Earlier on Wednesday, McGrath said Bush had "responded very well to treatments" and expressed hope that he would be released from the hospital soon.

Bush, 92, is the oldest living U.S. president. (Jimmy Carter is a little more than three months his junior.)

As The Associated Press notes, Bush "has a form of Parkinson's disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility."

Reuters reports that the elder Bush was hospitalized twice in 2014 and fell and broke a bone in his neck in 2015.

His public appearances have been rare over the past two years, although he still attends Houston-area sports events (and occasionally throws the first pitch or flips the coin for a kickoff).