Justice Ginsburg Hospitalized After Feeling Faint
Ruth Bader Ginsburg reportedly felt ill after treatment for iron deficiency.
Sept. 24, 2009 — -- U.S. Supreme Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is spending the night at a Washington, D.C. hospital "as a precautionary measure" after reporting feeling faint in her chambers earlier today, according to official court statements.
The 76-year-old justice was being examined at the Washington Hospital Center for symptoms that can develop after iron sucrose infusions, treatment Ginsburg has been receiving for anemia, a court spokeswoman said.
At 4:50 p.m., about an hour after receiving such an infusion, Ginsburg "felt faint, developed light headedness and fatigue," court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said in a written statement.
Ginsburg received medical assistance from the Office of the Attending Physician, which found she had "slightly low blood pressure, which can occur following" the infusions, Arberg wrote.
After further tests, Arberg added, Ginsburg was found to be in "stable health" but was taken as a precaution for evaluation at the hospital at approximately 7:45 p.m.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Earlier Medical Scares
Ginsburg has had other health scares since being appointed to the court by President Clinton in 1993.
In September 1999, she was operated on for colon cancer.
On Feb. 5, 2009, Ginsburg underwent surgery related to pancreatic cancer and later received chemotherapy.
Ginsburg in 'Completely Normal Health' Except for Iron Deficiency
Since her pancreatic cancer surgery, Ginsburg has been given a mostly clean bill of health, Arberg said.
"The justice underwent a comprehensive assessment of health in July 2009," Arberg wrote. "This involved medical evaluation, imaging scans and comprehensive blood tests. The result of this evaluation was that she was in completely normal health with the exception of a low red blood cell count caused by deficiency of iron. Intravenous iron therapy was administered in a standard fashion."
The new Supreme Court term is scheduled to begin on Oct. 5.
ABC News' Ariane DeVogue and Jan Crawford Greenburg contributed to this report.