Navaira still in medically induced coma

HOUSTON, March 26 (UPI) -- Tejano star Emilio Navaira remains in critical condition in a medically induced coma after he crashed his tour bus Sunday in Texas, his manager said.

The San Antonio Express-News said doctors began gradually raising Navaira's body temperature as they worked Tuesday to minimize the effect of a severe brain injury he sustained when thrown through the windshield of the tour bus.

Surgeons had lowered the singer's temperature to 91.5 degrees and then raised it by one-quarter of a degree per hour, said Jennifer Hart, a spokeswoman for the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.

The temperature-adjusting procedure has been shown to help relieve pressure on the brain.

Navaira's manager, Joe Casias, told the Express-News the singer's condition had not changed Tuesday afternoon.

"He had a good night last night," Casias said. "They will check to see how he is reacting, but all the vital signs looked good. Of course, the doctors said he is still in danger, but everything is running as they said it would."

Dr. Alex Valadka, a neurosurgeon treating Navaira, said people with the type of head injury Navaira suffered typically have a 65 percent to 75 percent chance of surviving.