Hypoxic encephalopathy: causes, symptoms and treatment

The brain is the most important set of organs in our body., but it is also one of the most delicate. A small malformation or alteration in its operation can totally affect its performance, and although thanks to neuroplasticity it can overcome a large number of injuries, this is not always occurs.

hypoxic encephalopathySpecifically, it is one of the most serious situations that the brain can suffer and, in fact, it is the main cause of brain death. Next we will see what it is, why it occurs and what is usually done to try to reverse this condition.

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What is hypoxic encephalopathy?

Encephalopathies are a category used in medicine to refer in general to diseases of the brain, and this case is no exception. In hypoxic encephalopathy, there is a lack of oxygen in this set of organs, whereby the tissue formed by neurons and glial cells begins to die, producing a risk of serious sequelae or even death.

This is what can happen, for example, in a cerebral ischemia: the blood flow is interrupted, and as a consequence there are cells that cannot stay alive and begin to be destroyed quickly.

It must be taken into account that when talking about hypoxic encephalopathy we are not simply talking about the lack of oxygen in the brain, but of the damages in the encephalic tissues produced by it. It is the disease, and not the cause of cell death.

On the other hand, hypoxic encephalopathy is relatively common, and is estimated to cause around 25% of infant deaths worldwide. It is also one of the main causes of mortality in boys and girls going through their early childhood.

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Symptoms

The main symptoms of the disease depend largely on the area of ​​the brain that is affected, and according to its severity.

mild hypoxic encephalopathy

In this situation, the typical symptoms in hypoxic encephalopathy are these:

• Drowsiness
• Lack of hunger
• Changes in the way of being and behaving.
• All muscle significantly elevated.
• Paleness of the skin.

Moderate hypoxic encephalopathy

Associated symptoms are:

• Apnea and sudden changes in breathing patterns.
• seizures.
• Low muscle tone.
• Pale skin.

severe hypoxic encephalopathy

In these cases are frequent:

• intense seizures
• Low heart rate.
• Very pale skin color.
• Strange patterns in eye movements.
• Difficulties breathing.

Forecast

The prognosis made from hypoxic encephalopathy can be highly variable, and improves in cases in which the initial symptoms improve during the first week. However, as a guide, It is estimated that the main sequelae of the disease are the following::

• epileptic seizures.
• Cognitive decline.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Difficulties in controlling movements.

Stages of this disease

Hypoxic encephalopathy has two phases, each with its risks and possible sequelae. The first of these consists of the damage caused by oxygen deprivation itself, while the second It's called reperfusion injury..

In this second phase, the restoration of blood supply to the brain is capable of damaging tissues due to the accumulation of substances that had occurred during the previous stage in a certain section of the system circulatory. In this way, everything that has been accumulating passes at the same time through an area of ​​the nervous system that is vulnerable.

Risk factor's

It is estimated that the main associated risk factors to the appearance of hypoxic encephalopathy are the following:

• Meningitis and encephalitis.
• Congenital malformations of the skull, such as microcephaly.
• Cranioencephalic injuries.
• Low blood pressure.
• Having had a premature birth.
• During pregnancy, the risk factors related to the possible development of the disease in the baby are the following:
• Knots in the umbilical cord.
• Rupture of the placenta.
• Elevated pressure within the skull of the fetus.
• Drug use during pregnancy.

Treatment

In cases of hypoxic encephalopathy it is important to act as soon as possible to prevent areas crucial for the functioning of the nervous system and the general survival of the body are damaged. One of the first steps is use assisted breathing to respond to immediate needs body while trying to restore blood flow.

What follows this has to do with the supply of medications to treat possible seizures. Sometimes treatments are also used to reduce the temperature of the brain area affected, in order to vary the pressure in that area and make the irrigation go through the there.

On the other hand, as the lack of oxygen in the central nervous system may have affected the functioning of all kinds of organs of the body, it is also necessary to treat these affectations. If the disease occurs in a newborn baby, these techniques should be as minimally invasive as possible.

In cases in which the flow has already been restored but there have been significant sequelae, occupation therapy is highly recommended, since it helps the person to integrate better and gain autonomy over their own life.