Treating Anoxic Brain Damage

Initial Treatment

Treatment of anoxic brain damage depends on the cause. Initially, barbiturates may be used to slow down brain activity. Steroids and other medications may be used to reduce the swelling that accompanies injured brain tissue. This may help limit the amount of damage to the brain. The doctor will also increase the amount of oxygen reaching the brain. Efforts to cool the brain may also be used to help limit brain damage. In addition, hyperbaric oxygen treatment may be used in cases of anoxia due to carbon monoxide poising.

Rehabilitation

During rehabilitation, you and your family will work with:

• Physical therapist-helps retrain motor skills, such as walking
• Occupational therapist-works on improving daily skills, such as dressing and going to the bathroom
• Speech therapist-works on language problems
• Neuropsychologist-counsels on behavior and emotional issues related to the injury

Recovery can take months, or even years. In many cases, full recovery is never achieved. In general, the sooner rehabilitation starts, the better the outcome.

Medication

Your doctor may have you take the following medications:

• Anti-epileptic medications-to treat ongoing seizures
• Clonazepam (eg, Klonopin)-to treat muscle jerks