Cerebral hypoxia

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Central nervous system

Cerebral hypoxia

Definition:

The term cerebral hypoxia technically refers to a lack of oxygen supply to the cerebral hemispheres (the outer portion of the brain), but it is more typically used to refer to a lack of oxygen supply to the entire brain.

Alternative Names:
Hypoxic encephalopathy
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

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There are numerous causes of cerebral hypoxia. These include, but are not limited to:

Drowning
Drug overdose
Asphyxiation caused by smoke inhalation
Very low blood pressure
Strangulation
Injuries during birth
Cardiac arrest (when the heart stops pumping)
Carbon monoxide poisoning
High altitudes
Choking
Compression of the trachea
Complications of general anesthesia
Diseases that paralyze the respiratory muscles

Brain cells are extremely sensitive to oxygen deprivation. Some brain cells actually start dying less than 5 minutes after their oxygen supply is cut. As a result, brain hypoxia can kill or cause severe brain damage rapidly.

This is an emergency condition and the sooner medical attention is given and the oxygen supply restored, the lower the chances of severe brain damage and death.