In brief: Rivers suffered lack of oxygen to brain

NEW YORK – Joan Rivers died of brain damage from low blood oxygen during a medical procedure to check out voice changes and reflux, the medical examiner’s office ruled Thursday.

The comedian, who was 81, died Sept. 4 after she had been hospitalized for about a week when she went into cardiac arrest during the procedure at a doctor’s office.

Rivers died from brain damage due to lack of oxygen during a procedure to scope her upper gastrointestinal tract and vocal folds, said Julie Bolcer, spokeswoman for the city’s medical examiner.

The death was classified as a therapeutic complication. Negligence is not suspected. Had it been, it would have been listed as a contributing cause.

The classification means the complication was a known risk of the procedure – a risk that patients say they understand when they sign waivers before surgery, a medical malpractice attorney said.

“Every time you have surgery you’re playing Russian roulette. And the more surgery, the more the numbers can catch up with you, and as we know, Ms. Rivers had a lot of surgery,” Steven Harris said.

Actress’s body found in Seattle-area ravine

SEATTLE – Police in the Seattle suburb of Auburn said Thursday that they believe they have found the body of missing actress Misty Upham.

A woman’s body was found in a ravine near the White River about 1 p.m. Thursday, police spokesman Steve Stocker said. Items with Upham’s name on them were found nearby.

“Although we do not have positive identification of the body, it is presumed to be Misty Upham,” Stocker said in a statement. “At this point we do not have any evidence or information to believe there is foul play.”