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Joan Rivers Received Double Dose Of Anesthesia By "Mistake"
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 11, 2014
Modified Nov 11, 2014
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 11, 2014
Modified Nov 11, 2014
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The circumstances around Joan Rivers's fatal medical procedure were rife with errors, according to a federal investigation. For instance, the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic staff "failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention during the procedure."
The 81-year-old trailblazing comedian died days after undergoing a procedure at the Upper East Side facility. It turned out she underwent unplanned procedures that she didn't authorize when she went into cardiac arrest. The report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also found that Rivers received way too much anesthesia:
The 81-year-old comedian was given 300 milligrams of propofol at 9:21 a.m. on Aug. 28 at Yorkville Endoscopy, computer records show in the report by the Department of Health and Human Services.
But the clinic’s anesthesiologist claims she administered only 120 milligrams, the report says.
“She explained she double-clicked on propofol 100 milligram [for the computer records] and that is the reason for the double-dose recording in the Medication Administration Record,” the report says.
In any event, Rivers was not weighed before going under for the routine procedure, a “very critical” step before administering anesthesia, the report said.
Also, the report say her vitals fell between 9:12 a.m. and 9:26 a.m., but CPR didn't start until 9:28 a.m.
While the clinic's doctor, Dr. Lawrence Cohen, was supposed to do the procedure, apparently's Rivers's own specialist, Dr. Gwen Korovin, took over. Korovin wasn't authorized to work at the clinic. From the Daily News:
Korovin, according to the report, performed two laryngoscopies using a nasal intubation process. The procedures were not consented to by Rivers, who was knocked out during the exam with the powerful anesthetic Propofol, the report says.
Staffers said Korovin called the shots, announcing, “I’m going first,” before clinic personnel could begin their exam.
The investigation found that Korovin had not been granted privileges by the clinic to be in the procedure room, and that the staff didn’t have any information about her credentials.
Korovin aborted the first attempt because she “could not see very well” and tried again after the scheduled throat exam, the report says.
Korovin's patients are a who's who of famous voices: Hugh Jackman, Joel Grey, Ariana Grande, Bruce Springsteen and James Earl Jones.
Rivers' daughter Melissa Rivers is planning a lawsuit; her lawyers said, "Our client, Melissa Rivers, is terribly disappointed to learn of the multiple failings on the part of medical personnel and the clinic. Moving forward, Ms. Rivers will direct her efforts towards ensuring that what happened to her mother will not occur again with any other patient."
Tagged
anesthesia
joan rivers
yorkville endoscopy
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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