Cerebral hypoxia

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Central nervous system

Cerebral hypoxia

Alternative Names:

Hypoxic encephalopathy
Treatment:

Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Most importantly, basic life-support has to be ensured.

Mechanical ventilation must be used to secure the airway
Blood pressure must be supported with fluids, blood products, or medications
Heart rate must be controlled
Seizures, if they occur, must be treated

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If seizures occur, medications are used to suppress them (with variable degree of success), including phenytoin, phenobarbital, valproic acid, and general anesthetics.

Sometimes cooling with blankets (hypothermia) is used, because much of the brain damage in hypoxia is caused by heat. Those who suffer the condition (if it is caused by drowning, for instance) in cold temperatures generally survive longer than those who are affected in higher temperatures.

However, the benefit of this treatment remains to be established. Experimental drugs called neuroprotectants have not shown a significant benefit so far.

Expectations (prognosis):

Prognosis depends on the extent of the hypoxic injury, which is determined by how long the brain was deprived of oxygen. Most people who make a full recovery are unconscious only briefly.

The longer the patient is unconscious, the higher the chances of death or brain death, and the lower the chances of a meaningful recovery.

Complications:

Complications of cerebral hypoxia include brain death (prolonged vegetative state) -- basic life functions, such as breathing, blood pressure, sleep/wake cycle, and eye opening may be preserved, but there is no consciousness or response to the environment.

Prolonged vegetative state is usually followed by death in less than 1 year, although, rarely, it may last longer. Other complications depend upon the degree of neurologic function and include lung infections (pneumonia), improper nutrition, bed sores, and clots in the veins (deep vein thrombosis).

Calling your health care provider:

Cerebral hypoxia is a medical emergency with every moment critical to meaningful survival. Call 911 IMMEDIATELY if someone you are with is losing consciousness or has other symptoms consistent with cerebral hypoxia.