Cerebral Hypoxia
Alternate Names : Hypoxic Encephalopathy
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Cerebral Hypoxia Treatment
Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Most importantly, basic life-support has to be ensured. Mechanical ventilation must be used to secure the airway; blood pressure must be supported with fluids, blood products, or medications; the heart rate needs to be controlled; and seizures treated (if they occur).
If seizures occur, some medications are used to suppress them with variable degree of success, including phenytoin, phenobarbital, valproic acid, and general anesthetics.
Sometimes cooling with blankets (hypothermia) is used because much of the brain damage in hypoxia is caused by heat, and those who suffer the condition (if it is caused by drowning in cold water, for example ) in cold temperatures have survived longer than those who were affected in higher temperatures.
However, the benefit of this treatment remains to be established. Experimental drugs called "neuroprotectants" have not shown a significant benefit so far.
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