Many hypoxic brain injuries are related to medical procedures. Issues with medication, including anesthesia, can lead to the patient’s brain receiving inadequate or no oxygen. Likewise, complications in surgery can cause hypoxic brain injuries.
One of the saddest outcomes is when complications during childbirth leave an infant suffering from major brain damage because of lack of oxygen.
Without oxygen, brain cells start to die within minutes, and the brain suffers permanent damage.
Like other types of serious brain injury, the result of a brain injury in the medical setting could be that the victim suffers from significant disabilities that will require full-time care.
Even if this worst-case scenario does not come to pass, living with the fallout from a brain injury makes both daily living and working harder.
Not every brain injury that happens in a medical setting is because of medical malpractice. However, many of these injuries are preventable.
Often, doctors and other medical professionals do not communicate effectively, and the resulting missteps contribute to severe hypoxic brain injuries in the medical setting.
Likewise, medical professionals can with alarming frequency make and then run with assumptions about a patient, their technology or their colleagues that turn out not to be correct.
Finally, it is also important to remember that a clinic or hospital’s dangerous environment or negligent medical staff can contribute to falls and other accidents. Falling is a major cause of traumatic brain injuries.
Those who have suffered brain injuries in a medical setting have options
A Louisiana resident who suffers from a brain injury while undergoing surgery or other treatment may have a legal claim against their treatment providers.
If after an investigation it appears a doctor, hospital or other provider was negligent, then the victim or the family can recover compensation for their expenses and lost wages as well as for their non-economic damages.