Mayor Thomas Menino left the Brigham and Women’s Hospital on Monday after a five-night stay due to what his staff said was a bad reaction to medication.
The hospital stay was one of several for Menino, 67, this year. An earlier, three-day visit at Brigham and Women’s over the Thanksgiving break was for an infection that Menino contracted while on vacation in Italy.
On Wednesday, the mayor was readmitted because the medication for the infection made him feel sick, said spokeswoman Dot Joyce to The Boston Globe.
Doctors believe that Menino’s later reaction may have been caused by pain medication, Joyce said.
Menino said that while in Italy, he scraped his elbow while showering, apparently causing his arm to swell up within a few days. Doctors diagnosed him with cellulitis and septic bursitis, two types of infections. He was prescribed antibiotics and underwent minor surgery to drain his arm of excess fluid.
Though Menino plans to stay at home and recover for several days, he told reporters outside his house that he would continue to work.
“My home is just as good as City Hall,” he said.
Earlier this year, Menino recovered from serious knee surgery in late 2009 and underwent a minor operation for cataracts. He also suffers from Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory disease of the bowels.
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