Cryotherapy death was not criminal, Metro concludes
The death of a woman found in a cryotherapy machine was not criminal, Las Vegas police said Wednesday.
Homicide detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department made the determination after "an extensive review of the facts" Metro said in a written statement.
The case has been sent on to the Clark County district attorney's office for review, as is routine, the department said.
Chelsea Ake-Salvacion, 24, was found dead on Oct. 20 inside a cryotherapy machine at Rejuvenice, 8846 S. Eastern Ave., near the Pebble Road intersection. Ake-Salvacion was an employee at the center, which offered facial and whole-body cryotherapy treatments, and she died using the cryotherapy machine alone while the business had closed.
Cryotherapy involves exposure to extreme cold to help ease pain after strenuous exercise. Because of Ake-Salvacion's death, state health and business officials have started reviewing whole-body cryotherapy to ensure best practices are followed for safety and employee training and the public is protected.
All three Rejuvenice locations in Las Vegas remained closed Tuesday even though a stop-work order issued by state business officials has been lifted at one site.
The locations were shuttered last week because operators did not have an active workers compensation policy. The stop-work order was lifted on the Rejuvenice location at 8751 W Charleston Blvd. after proof of a workers compensation policy was produced, said Teri Williams, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Business and Industry. The location where Ake-Salvacion died and the Rejuvenice at 6345 S. Rainbow Blvd. remained under a stop-work order Wednesday.
The public relations firm representing Rejuvenice, Allied Integrated Marketing of Las Vegas, did not reply to an email asking when the businesses might reopen or whether Rejuvenice officials are cooperating with the state reviews.
State Division of Public and Behavioral Health officials are working with other state and local agencies and licensing boards to determine if cryotherapy machines are safe for the general public.
State Division of Industrial Relations officials will examine the equipment, review manuals and documentation by the manufacturers, interview employees and management, and review bulletins or other documentation from other state and federal regulatory agencies, Williams said.
No timetable has been given for when the agencies will complete their reviews. The Clark County coroner has not determined Ake-Salvacion's cause of death, and is waiting for toxicology test results that may not be ready for several weeks.
Cryotherapy in some forms is unregulated, and the equipment is not necessarily approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
FDA spokeswoman Deborah Kotz said her agency regulates whole-body cryotherapy when the manufacturer promotes the device for medical purposes. Claims that use provides comfort or relief would not meet the definition of a medical device.
Cryotherapy machines intended to prevent, treat or mitigate disease or affect the structure or function of the body are regulated by FDA, Kotz said. FDA generally focuses on manufacturers but also has jurisdiction over others in the distribution chain, including spas, clinics, or wellness centers.
Kotz said she could not comment on Rejuvenice's claims on its website that its whole-body cryotherapy accelerates tissue healing, strengthens the immune system and creates an instant anti-aging effect.
"FDA is concerned about any medical device labeling that may be false or misleading to consumers, including claims made on websites," Kotz said in an email. "However, we cannot comment on what steps we would take in this particular case without a thorough evaluation."
Contact reporter Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.
