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Anoxic Brain Damage(Anoxic Brain Injury; Hypoxic Brain Injury)How to Say It: An-OKS-ik
by
Cynthia M. Johnson, MA DefinitionAnoxic brain damage (ABD) is harm to the brain due to a lack of oxygen. Brain cells without enough oxygen will start to die after about 4 minutes.
CausesOxygen is carried to the brain in the blood. ABD is when:
Risk FactorsProblems that may raise the risk of ABD are:
SymptomsProblems may be:
DiagnosisYou will be asked about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. You may need to see a doctor who treats brain problems. These tests may be done to find out more about problems with brain function:
TreatmentInitial TreatmentTreatment will depend on the cause. Choices are:
RehabilitationRecovery can take months or years. It depends on how long a person went without oxygen. Many people can get back most of the abilities they lost. These therapies may be needed:
PreventionABD is often caused by accidents. These cannot always be prevented. RESOURCES:Brain Injury Association of America http://www.biausa.org National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke http://www.ninds.nih.gov CANADIAN RESOURCES:Ontario Brain Injury Association http://obia.ca Public Health Agency of Canada http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca References:Cerebral hypoxia information page. National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Cerebral-Hypoxia-Information-Page. Accessed June 18, 2018. Rubinos C, Ruland S. Neurologic complications in the intensive care unit. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2016;16(6):57. Last reviewed September 2020 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Rimas Lukas, MD | |