Melissa and Joan Rivers
A new federal report has claimed that the New York clinic where Joan Rivers stopped breathing made a number of errors during her medical procedure.
The damning report was released yesterday and stated that Yorkville Endoscopy "failed to ensure that patient care services are provided in a manner that protects the health and safety of all patients", and several procedures weren't performed correctly when Joan went in for a routine throat procedure back on August 28.
According to the filed documents the medical team failed to notice that the comedienne's blood-oxygen level was dropping below normal in the 15 minutes before she stopped breathing, and inconsistently documented the amount of Propofol she was administered before the operation.
They also failed to weigh her before giving her the drug.
An ENT doctor without privileges to operate at the clinic was allowed to perform procedures on Joan according to the report, and one member of staff took a picture of the star whilst she was sedated awaiting the procedure.
To conclude the document stated the biggest error made by Joan's physicians was that they "failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention during the procedure".
Confirmation was made that Joan was successfully resuscitated at the clinic before she was moved to Mount Sinai Hospital, placed in a medically-induced coma after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Melissa Rivers made the decision to take her mother off life support on September 4 as she never regained consciousness.
Speaking through lawyers, Melissa has now admitted she is outraged by what the new report has revealed.
Jeffrey Bloom and Ben Rubinowitz - her attorneys - said in a statement: "Our client, Melissa Rivers, is terribly disappointed to learn of the multiple failings on the part of the medical personnel and the clinic as evidenced by the CMS report."
Law firm Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman, MacKauf, Bloom & Robinowitz added: "As any of us would be, Ms. Rivers is outraged by the misconduct and mismanagement now shown to have occurred before, during and after the procedure."
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