Hypoxic encephalopathy: causes, symptoms and treatment

This serious disease is one of the main causes of death in infants and children under 5 years of age.

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

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

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 lack of oxygen in this set of organsThe tissue formed by neurons and glial cells begins to die, resulting in the risk of serious sequelae or even death.

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

It should be borne in mind that when we speak of hypoxic encephalopathy we are not simply talking about the lack of oxygen in the brain, but about the damage to the tissues of the brain.but of the damage to the encephalic tissues produced by it. It is the disease, not the cause of cell death.

Hypoxic encephalopathy, on the other hand, is relatively common, accounting for an estimated 25% of infant deaths worldwide. It is also one of the leading causes of mortality in children going through early childhood.

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 as follows:

• Drowsiness
• Lack of hunger.
• Changes in the way of being and behaving.
• Significantly elevated muscle tone.
• Pallor of the skin.

Moderate hypoxic encephalopathy.

The associated symptoms are:

• Apnea and abrupt changes in breathing patterns.
• Convulsions.
• Low muscle tone.
• Pale skin..

Severe hypoxic encephalopathy

In these cases they are frequent:

• Intense convulsions.
• Low heart rate.
• Very pale skin color.
• Strange patterns in the movements of the eyes.
• Difficulty breathing.

Prognosis

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

• Epileptic seizures.
• Cognitive impairment.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Difficulties in controlling movements.

Stages of this disease

Hypoxic encephalopathy has two stages, each with its risks and possible sequelae. The first consists of the damage caused by oxygen deprivation per se, while the second is called reperfusion damage. is called reperfusion damage.

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

Risk factors

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

• Meningitis and encephalitis.
• Congenital malformations of the skull, such as microcephaly.
• Cranioencephalic trauma.
• 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 these:
• Knots in the umbilical cord.
• Rupture of the placenta.
• High pressure inside 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 to the functioning of the nervous system and the overall survival of the body from being damaged. One of the first measures is to respond to the immediate needs of the organism while trying to restore the body's immediate needs while trying to restore blood flow.

This is followed by the provision of medications to treat possible seizures. medications to treat possible seizures.. Sometimes treatments are also used to lower the temperature of the affected area of the brain in order to change the pressure in that area and get the blood flow back to that area.

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

In cases where the flow has already been restored but significant sequelae remain, occupational therapy is highly recommended, occupational therapy is highly recommendedIt helps the person to better integrate and gain autonomy over his or her own life.