Cerebral HypoxiaSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Cerebral Hypoxia
Cerebral hypoxia occurs when there is not enough oxygen getting to the brain. The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to function.
Cerebral hypoxia refers to the largest parts of the brain, called the cerebral hemispheres. However, the term is often used to refer to a lack of oxygen supply to any part of or all of the brain.
Hypoxic encephalopathy; Anoxic encephalopathy
In cerebral hypoxia, sometimes only the oxygen supply is interrupted. This can be caused by:
- Breathing in smoke (smoke inhalation), such as during a fire
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Choking
- Diseases that prevent movement (paralysis) of the breathing muscles, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- High altitude exposure
- Pressure on (compression) the windpipe (trachea)
- Strangulation
In other cases, both oxygen and nutrient supply are stopped, caused by:
- Cardiac arrest (when the heart stops pumping)
- Cardiac arrhythmia (heart rhythm problems)
- Complications of general anesthesia
- Drowning
- Illegal drug or medicine overdose
- Injuries to a newborn that occurred before, during, or soon after birth, such as cerebral palsy
- Prolonged seizure (status epilepticus)
- Stroke
- Very low blood pressure
Brain cells are very sensitive to a lack of oxygen. Some brain cells start dying less than 5 minutes after their oxygen supply disappears. As a result, brain hypoxia can rapidly cause severe brain damage or death.
Symptoms of mild cerebral hypoxia include:
- Change in attention (inattentiveness)
- Poor judgment
- Speech disorder
- Uncoordinated movement
Symptoms of severe cerebral hypoxia include:
- Complete unawareness and unresponsiveness (coma)
- No breathing
- No response of the pupils of the eye to light
Cerebral hypoxia is an emergency condition that needs to be treated right away. The sooner the oxygen supply is restored to the brain, the lower the risk for severe brain damage and death.
Treatment depends on the cause of the hypoxia. Basic life support is most important. Treatment involves:
- Breathing assistance (mechanical ventilation) and oxygen
- Regulating the heart rate and rhythm
- Fluids, blood products, or medicines to raise blood pressure if it is low
- Medicines or general anesthetics to calm seizures
Sometimes a person with cerebral hypoxia is cooled to slow down the activity of the brain cells and decrease their need for oxygen. However, the benefit of this treatment has not been firmly established.
Susan Redline is a Cardiologist and a Sleep Medicine provider practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Redline is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Hypoxia. She is also highly rated in 8 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, Cerebral Hypoxia, Central Sleep Apnea, and Adenoidectomy. Dr. Redline is board certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Disease.
Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center
Dr. Jun is a pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine physician. He is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing, and in the care of critically ill patients in the Medical ICU. He is a member of the Sleep Fellowship Program Evaluation and Clinical Competency Committee and provides teaching to medical students and residents at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Jun is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Hypoxia. He is also highly rated in 5 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Cerebral Hypoxia, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome (OHS), and Central Sleep Apnea. Dr. Jun is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.
SOFHA Pulmonology
Maria Garcia is a Pulmonary Medicine provider practicing medicine in Johnson City, Tennessee. Dr. Garcia is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Hypoxia. She is also highly rated in 47 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Lung Metastases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Asthma in Children, Lung Nodules, and Advanced Bronchoscopy. Dr. Garcia is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.
The outlook depends on the extent of the brain injury. This is determined by how long the brain lacked oxygen, and whether nutrition to the brain was also affected.
If the brain lacked oxygen for only a brief period, a coma may be reversible and the person may have a full or partial return of function. Some people recover many functions, but have abnormal movements, such as twitching or jerking, called myoclonus. Seizures may sometimes occur, and may be continuous (status epilepticus).
Most people who make a full recovery were only briefly unconscious. The longer a person is unconscious, the higher the risk for death or brain death, and the lower the chances of recovery.
Complications of cerebral hypoxia include a prolonged vegetative state. This means the person may have basic life functions, such as breathing, blood pressure, sleep-wake cycle, and eye opening, but the person is not alert and does not respond to their surroundings. Such people usually die within a year, although some may survive longer.
The length of survival depends partly on how much care is taken to prevent other problems. Major complications may include:
- Bed sores
- Clots in the veins (deep vein thrombosis)
- Lung infections (pneumonia)
- Malnutrition
Cerebral hypoxia is a medical emergency. Call 911 or the local emergency number immediately if someone is losing consciousness or has other symptoms of cerebral hypoxia.
Prevention depends on the specific cause of hypoxia. Unfortunately, hypoxia is usually unexpected. This makes the condition somewhat difficult to prevent.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be lifesaving, especially when it is started right away.
Summary: Using prospective real-world data, this study aims to determine whether the lateral decubitus position reduces the incidence of post-procedure hypoxemia in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy/colonoscopy, thereby providing a simple, non-invasive, and low-cost optimization strategy for clinical practice.
Summary: Through a multicenter, three-arm randomized controlled trial design, this study aimed to compare the effects of three positioning strategies-side-lying with elevated head position, supine with elevated head position, and standard side-lying position-on the incidence of hypoxemia during the recovery phase in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy and colonoscopy. The goal was to provide clinician...
Published Date: August 19, 2024
Published By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Fugate JE, Wijdicks EFM. Anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 83.
Greer DM, Bernat JL. Coma, disorders of consciousness, and brain death. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 373.
Lumb AB, Thomas C. Hypoxia. In: Lumb AB, Thomas C, eds. Nunn and Lumb's Applied Respiratory Physiology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 23.