Anoxic Brain Injury
Anoxic Brain Injury refers to a severe lack of oxygen to the brain. This usually happens when blood is unable to flow to the brain due to certain injuries or bleeding. The brain requires a constant flow of oxygen to function normally. An anoxic brain injury occurs when the flow of oxygen to the brain is interrupted, essentially starving the brain and preventing it from performing.
Anoxia may be caused by a number of events, such as smoke or carbon monoxide inhalation, high altitude exposure, strangulation, anesthetic accidents, or poisoning. In severe cases of anoxia from any cause, the patient is often comatose for periods ranging from hours to days, weeks, or months. Seizures, muscle spasms or twitches, and neck stiffness may occur.
Anoxic brain injury takes in a broad range of deficits and severity.