One of the most serious lesions of brain structures is considered to be anoxic pathology, which is especially characteristic of newborn babies. Anoxic brain damage is hypoxic in nature, as a result of which there is a failure in ventilation, blood circulation, respiration and tissue metabolism.
Description of the disease
Problems of therapy of a child with neurological pathologies are extremely relevant in our time. This is directly related to the general decline in the birth rate, and in addition, with an increase in the number of various adverse factors that provoke damage to the child's nervous system. Among other things, this is largely due to the fact that in the modern world, cases of the birth of unhe althy, and at the same time, physiologically immature children have become more frequent.
Very often the main causes of anoxic brain damage are hypoxic and ischemic processes due to insufficient supplynerve tissues with oxygen. In the ICD-10 system, such a diagnosis is encrypted in several sections at once. The closest pathophysiology is code P21.9 (it implies neonatal anoxia) and G93.1 (in this case we are talking about anoxic brain damage, not classified elsewhere).
Anatomical picture of this disease
Unfortunately, medicine has not yet identified the exact mechanism for the appearance of anoxic brain damage. True, the anatomical picture of this pathology is quite simple. The fact is that the nervous tissue ceases to receive oxygen in sufficient quantity for it, against the background of this, a hypoxic ischemic process occurs, which, even for a short time period, is detrimental to the structure of the brain.
In other words, each neuron, as it were, does not receive the amount of oxygen it needs during the blood supply. Neurons in children are not yet as developed as in adults, and therefore their relationship with the brain is only at the stage of formation. With a small supply of the cell, it simply ceases to function correctly, and at the same time changes morphologically and internally.
Accordingly, anoxia is called morphological degenerative processes that have an extremely detrimental effect on he althy tissue. Symptoms of anoxic brain damage in children are extremely difficult to tolerate, which often ends in death. Next, let's see what are the reasonsprovoking factors for the occurrence of this disease in children and newborns.
Causes of brain pathology
A single root cause for the occurrence of anoxic brain damage has not yet been identified. But it is worth noting that there are a lot of provoking factors that can precede such a terrible phenomenon. These factors can interfere with the normal blood supply, and in addition, the supply of the required amount of oxygen to the child's brain:
- This is about cardiac arrest or suffocation.
- The impact of intoxication with chemicals, for example, sometimes even a dirty environment has an impact. It is worth noting that the children's body is very sensitive to the cleanliness of the environment.
- Miscellaneous viruses along with neuroinfections.
- Getting sun (or heat) stroke and electric shock.
- Surgery on the heart or brain.
- The onset of coma or clinical death.
- The effect of prolonged arterial hypotension (that is, a decrease in blood pressure).
Symptoms of this dangerous pathology
Anoxic brain damage in newborns is usually extremely difficult. The fact is that even the onset of short-term hypoxia can cause an asthma attack along with convulsions and internal necrosis. Common symptoms and signs of anoxia include:
- The child has epileptic seizures and convulsions.
- Presence of involuntarytrembling limbs.
- Occurrence of sensory impairment.
- The appearance of a malfunction in the organs of hearing and vision.
- The occurrence of photophobia and hypersensitivity.
- The appearance of paralysis and paresis of the limbs.
- The occurrence of asthma attacks and breathing disorders.
- The appearance of a heart rhythm failure.
- The occurrence of headaches.
Diagnosis of this brain pathology
Diagnosis of anoxic brain damage in children involves, first of all, magnetic resonance and computed tomography. An electroencephalogram may also be needed. Based on the results of all these procedures, the doctor can establish the correct diagnosis and predict the further course of the disease.
Treatment, as a rule, includes two successive stages. Firstly, it is the removal of the root causes of the disease along with the restoration of the body. At this stage, it is necessary to understand what exactly caused the anoxia in order to eliminate it. And directly at the second stage, you need to take vitamins along with breathing exercises and taking vascular drugs in order to restore the work of the heart and blood vessels, including.
How and where is anoxic brain damage treated?
Methods of dealing with this disease
So, as it has already become clear, the treatment of an ailment that has arisen usually involves several stages. In case of an acute illness, it is necessary to urgently completelyeliminate the influence of factors leading to anoxia:
- Child needs airway management.
- Foreign body removal.
- The patient must be removed from the carbon dioxide area.
- Stop strangulation required.
- Obstruction of electrical current.
At this stage, it is necessary to maintain normal blood circulation and oxygen supply, in some cases, artificial respiration apparatuses are used. At the same time, support is provided at a level that should not allow irreversible changes in the brain. In the presence of preserved natural breathing, the child needs oxygen inhalations and transportation to a hospital. If breathing is ineffective, intubation will be required.
Restoration of vital functions
The next stage involves the restoration of vital functions. Thus, it is necessary to restore blood circulation, respiration and normal heart function. Further therapy is directed to the restoration of all previously lost functions. For this purpose, neurometabolites are prescribed along with nootropics, vascular drugs, neuroprotectors and antioxidants.
Symptomatic therapy is aimed at eliminating the main manifestation of the consequences of anoxia. In the case of a severe headache, analgesics are used, and against the background of epileptic seizures, anticonvulsants are required, and so on.
