A new federal report says the clinic where Joan Rivers stopped breathing in August is responsible for several errors.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the report says the clinic...
- Didn't consistently document how much of the sedative propofol she was being given
- Didn't notice her blood-oxygen level was dropping below normal
It also confirms the rumor that a cellphone picture was taken of the iconic comedienne while she was sedated.
NBC has a telling direct quote from the report, which comes from the New York Department of Health and Human Services: "(The clinic) failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention."
Eighty-one-year-old Rivers stopped breathing during an Aug. 28 procedure. Resuscitation was attempted, but the report says there's conflicting information on when it was started. (Video via IFC Films / "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work")
She was taken to a hospital and then taken off life support September 4. That failure to identify that she'd stopped breathing might have been key.
According to the National Library of Medicine, permanent brain damage can begin if the brain is without oxygen for as little as four minutes.
TMZ is reporting additional details from the report, saying Rivers was given twice the amount of Propofol she should have had and her personal doctor took a photo taken because she thought Rivers might want one.
Yorkville Endoscopy is still up and running but has parted ways with some of its staff since the incident.
In mid-October, the New York Medical Examiner ruled Rivers' cause of death was a "predictable complication" from a medical procedure.
It's unclear what the fedearl report might mean for Yorkville Endoscopy in the future.
Rivers' daughter, Melissa, is reportedly considering a wrongful death lawsuit against the clinic.
This video contains images from Getty Images.
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