Netanyahu released from hospital after overnight stay

The Prime Minister's Office reported on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been discharged from Sheba-Tel Hashomer Hospital in Ramat Gan, after some 20 hours of hospitalization due to dehydration.

Netanyahu was hospitalized yesterday afternoon, after feeling dizzy following a day at the Sea of Galilee with his wife, Sara.

The prime minister underwent a series of tests in the cardiology department and was later diagnosed with dehydration.

The Sheba Medical Center later released a statement about the premier’s condition.

“We diagnosed, at the end of all the tests performed, including laboratory tests, that the reason for hospitalization was dehydration,” they wrote.

The hospital also stated there were no problems with his heart. “His heart is completely normal,” the report confirmed.

Despite this announcement, the medical team conducting the evaluation decided to implant a subcutaneous Holter heart monitoring device in Netanyahu’s chest to continue routine follow-up care.

The device is typically implanted under the skin, in the left chest area, and continuously records the electrical activity of the heart for about two to three years, which is the life of the battery. It information it collects is used to diagnose and detect life-threatening arrhythmias, irregular heartbeats.

The decision to implant the device was made because dehydration can affect the electrolyte balance which is critical to healthy heart function.

According to Professor Mahmoud Suleiman, Director of Electrophysiology in the Cardiology Department at Rambam Hospital, the decision to implant a Holter can be made even when other heart tests are normal, as a precaution.

The data from the Holter will be directly transmitted to the Sheba medical team for monitoring.

“If everything is normal, the next test performed is one in which a subcutaneous monitor is implanted in the patient's body, so that it will check the electrical activity of the heart, and identify whether there is a high or low pulse, or pauses in the pulse,” Suleiman explained.

According to The Jerusalem Post, anonymous sources at the Sheba Medical Center confirmed that Netanyahu did have a loss of consciousness while at home, falling to the floor. If so, this would be the second fainting incident for Netanyahu in less than a year.

Last October, during Yom Kippur prayers, Netanyahu fainted and was taken to Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, where he was eventually released after testing showed normal results.

The government’s weekly cabinet meeting, which usually happens on Sunday mornings, was delayed to Monday, following Netanyahu’s hospitalization.