Anoxic Brain Damage

Causes

Oxygen is carried to the brain in the blood. ABD is when:

• Blood flow is blocked or slowed due to:
  • A clot or stroke
  • Shock and heart problems, like a heart attack
• Blood flow is normal, but the blood doesn’t have enough oxygen due to:
  • Lung disease
  • A lack of oxygen in the air, which may happen at high altitudes
  • Being around certain poisons, such as carbon monoxide
  • An event that is stopping breathing, such as drowning, choking, or suffocation

Risk Factors

Problems that may raise the risk of ABD are:

• Sudden cardiac arrest or heart attack
• Choking
• Suffocation
• Drowning
• Electrical shock
• Broken gas appliances that discharge carbon monoxide
• Heart arrhythmia
• Stroke
• Drug use

Symptoms

Problems may be:

• Headache
• Problems with thinking and focus
• Mood swings
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures
• Clumsiness
• Coma
• A decline in brain function days or weeks after the event (rare)

Diagnosis

You 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:

• CT scan
• MRI scan
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)—a test that measures the electricity in the brain
• Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans—a type of CT scan that looks at parts of the brain
• Evoked potential tests—tests used to check the senses

Treatment

Initial Treatment

Treatment will depend on the cause. Choices are:

• Oxygen to raise the amount of oxygen in the blood
• Medicine to help get enough blood with oxygen to the brain
• Cooling the brain to limit problems

Rehabilitation

Recovery 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:

• Physical therapy to retrain motor skills, such as walking
• Occupational therapy to relearn daily skills, such as dressing and going to the bathroom
• Speech therapy to work on language problems
• Counseling for behavior and emotional issues

Prevention

ABD is often caused by accidents. These cannot always be prevented.