Hypoxic and Anoxic brain injury

Hypoxic and Anoxic brain injury refers to the lack of oxygen to the brain.  The brain needs a continuous supply of oxygen to survive, if this is interrupted the function of the brain is disturbed immediately which can cause irreversible damage.

Hypoxic brain injury is where the amount of oxygen to the brain is too little and Anoxic brain injury is where there is no oxygen to the brain at all.

If the oxygen supply is interrupted, consciousness will be lost within 15 seconds and damage to the brain begins to occur after about four minutes without oxygen.

Causes of these types of  Hypoxic or Anoxic brain injuries

Cardiac or respiratory arrest
Heart attack, resulting in inefficient supply of blood to the brain
Very low blood pressure (shock)
Suffocation
Choking
Strangulation
Very severe asthma attack
Complication of general anaesthesia
Near drowning
Exposure to high altitudes
Smoke inhalation
Carbon monoxide inhalation
Poisoning
Drug overdose
Electric shock