Wednesday, February 16, 2011

She DID suffer a stroke on air: Experts' verdict on Grammys journalist's garbled live report


She DID suffer a stroke on air: Experts' verdict on Grammys journalist's garbled live report

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357247/Serene-Branson-DID-suffer-stroke-Verdict-Grammys-journalists-garbled-report.html#ixzz1E8dIObZw





Gibberish: Doctors say CBS journalist Serene Branson probably suffered a stroke when she stumbled over her words live on air during Sunday's broadcast

Gibberish: Doctors say CBS journalist Serene Branson probably suffered a stroke when she stumbled over her words live on air during Sunday's broadcast

Taking her home was ‘not the right thing to do. You immediately go to the emergency room,’ she said.

She told Lauer that she would have kept Branson overnight in hospital and ‘neurologically checked her every hour on the hour.’

Branson’s nonsensical report when she clearly appeared to be experiencing issues with her speech has gone viral on the Internet. It was accompanied by widespread speculation that she may have suffered a stroke on air.

‘What a terrifying event,’ Dr Daniel Labovitz, assistant professor of neurology at Einstein School of Medicine told the New York Times.

STROKES IN THE U.S.

  • Strokes are the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.
  • Nearly 75 per cent of strokes occur in those aged over 65
  • But 50,000 people a year who have a stroke are under 50
  • 55,000 more women than men have a stroke annually
  • The risk of a stroke is raised by problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure
SOURCE: The Internet Stroke Center

‘I very strongly suspect this was a stroke or transient ischemic attack.’

He said that in some cases, ischemic strokes are caused when a blood clot blocks blood flow to part of the brain - but clears quickly before damage occurs, allowing the patient to recover swiftly.

‘I don’t think we saw the stroke start,’ he added. ‘I think it may have begun before the camera started rolling.

'She was standing there smiling, completely unaware there was a problem until she attempted to speak, and even then she was not really aware she was making no sense because she kept talking.’

Jesse Weinberger, neurologist at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, told ABC News: 'She's definitely having difficultly expressing her words.

'That's a symptom which can be related to a stroke but it can also be other things like a partial seizure.'

The video is expected to be a valuable resource in helping doctors diagnose what happened.

CBS said Branson was recovering at home today after a doctor’s check-up, but didn’t throw any more light on exactly what happened. Impressive career: Ms Branson was nominated for two Emmy awards and has worked for various news stations as a television reporter and anchor Impressive career: Ms Branson was nominated for two Emmy awards and has worked for various news stations as a television reporter and anchor

A spokesman said: ‘As many of you know CBS2 reporter Serene Branson experienced some health-related problems during our post-Grammys newscast.

‘She was examined by paramedics on scene immediately after her broadcast. Her vital signs were normal. She was not hospitalised.

‘As a precautionary measure, a colleague gave her a ride home. And while Serene says she is feeling better today, she wants us to know she followed-up with a visit to the doctor for some medical tests.

Grammys: Stars including Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman, Seal, Heidi Klum, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attended

Grammys: Stars including Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman, Seal, Heidi Klum, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attended

‘Serene thanks everyone for their concern and good wishes and hopes to be back on the air very soon.’

CBS told Mail Online that it cannot yet confirm what happened to Ms Branson, but that she is 'doing much better' now.

She was born and raised in Los Angeles, has been nominated for two Emmy prizes and won the Frank Shakespeare Award for Outstanding Achievement in Journalism.

Ms Branson began her career at KCAL 9, before working in Palm Springs and Santa Barbara, and later for a CBS affiliate station in Sacramento.

Her hobbies are listed on the CBS website as reading, yoga and spending time with family and friends.


Watch the NBC Today show report with Dr Keith Black's diagnosis

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Watch the ABC News report with Jesse Weinberger's diagnosis




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357247/Serene-Branson-DID-suffer-stroke-Verdict-Grammys-journalists-garbled-report.html#ixzz1E8d3ljtf

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