Joan Rivers stops breathing during surgery - rushed to hospital

**crash man** · August 31st, 2014, 06:56 PM

**Froogy** · August 31st, 2014, 07:02 PM

I'm no doctor or nurse, but you can for sure be on life support with an active brain. I know from personal experiences. Life support doesnt equal brain dead. Life support can mean that you need help with your heart, lungs, kidneys etc.

**Trixie** · August 31st, 2014, 07:11 PM

I hope you are right.

**crash man** · August 31st, 2014, 07:11 PM

Yeah, she went into cardiac arrest during throat surgery and stopped breathing. She is unconscious, beyond that I'm stumped.

**Brookie** · August 31st, 2014, 07:28 PM

Unless you're one of her physicians, you probably should be.

**crash man** · August 31st, 2014, 07:30 PM

**crash man** · August 31st, 2014, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Froogy

I'm no doctor or nurse, but you can for sure be on life support with an active brain. I know from personal experiences. Life support doesnt equal brain dead. Life support can mean that you need help with your heart, lungs, kidneys etc.

This video explains it quite well. Joan Rivers' Family Keeping 'Our Fingers Crossed' for Iconic Comedian - ABC News

**PecanPie** · August 31st, 2014, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by crash man

WTF? And why?

Sorry - I don't really get your morbid interest in this, or why it matters that she is a supporter of Israel.

**Brookie** · August 31st, 2014, 08:24 PM

Most Jews I know are also "pro-Israel".

**eva** · August 31st, 2014, 08:46 PM

Life support means that they are unable to be taken off of the ventilator.

They could be conscious or not. Have brain activity or not.

They are at high risk for pneumonia, urinary tract infections and pressure ulcers.

They are unable to eat any food, so the decision becomes if they should put in a feeding tube or not, which is a tube that is inserted into their stomach, through their abdomen.

Its not a great existence.

I help guide people through this decision every day and it is never easy.

If they decide to keep the person on life support, they get a tracheotomy and a feeding tube. They are then discharged from the hospital and sent to a long term nursing home to "live."

**crash man** · August 31st, 2014, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by eva

Life support means that they are unable to be taken off of the ventilator.

They could be conscious or not. Have brain activity or not.

They are at high risk for pneumonia, urinary tract infections and pressure ulcers.

They are unable to eat any food, so the decision becomes if they should put in a feeding tube or not, which is a tube that is inserted into their stomach, through their abdomen.

Its not a great existence.

I help guide people through this decision every day and it is never easy.

If they decide to keep the person on life support, they get a tracheotomy and a feeding tube. They are then discharged from the hospital and sent to a long term nursing home to "live."

She stopped breathing in a clinic. The video said brain damage can happen after the brain receives no oxygen for 4-6 minutes. What do you think is going on here?

**PecanPie** · August 31st, 2014, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by crash man

She stopped breathing in a clinic. The video said brain damage can happen after the brain receives no oxygen for 4-6 minutes. What do you think is going on here?

Whatever is going on here is something between Rivers's doctors and whoever is handling her personal care in her stead, likely her daughter. Though she is a public person, her medical care and decisions made about it should not be.