from a London hospital, where she was treated for
symptoms of gastroenteritis.
The 86-year-old monarch had been taken to King
Edward VII's Hospital on Sunday morning "as a
precautionary measure," a Buckingham Palace
spokesman said, speaking with customary
anonymity.
The queen smiled as she left the hospital Monday.
It was the first time the queen had been hospitalized
in a decade. Her official engagements for the week
were postponed or canceled Sunday.
Elizabeth had already canceled a planned trip to
Wales on Saturday after showing symptoms of the
illness, Buckingham Palace said.
Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the lining of the
stomach and intestines. Though commonly known as
"stomach flu," it is not caused by the influenza virus,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
The illness is usually caused by a virus and passed
from person to person, said Dr. Corey Siegel, a
gastroenterologist and professor at Dartmouth
College's Geisel School of Medicine. But it can also be
caused by bacteria, either foodborne or personally
transmitted, he said.
The bug usually has to run its course. But doctors
often give hospitalized elderly patients intravenous
fluids to prevent dehydration, which can lead to
kidney problems, Siegel said.
Elizabeth celebrated her 60th anniversary on the
throne in 2012 and turns 87 in April. She was last
hospitalized in 2003 for knee surgery.
Her husband, the 92-year-old Prince Philip, was
hospitalized three times between December 2011
and August 2012 -- once for treatment of a blocked
coronary artery and twice for a bladder infection.
Source - CNN
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