Symptoms of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and treatment options

In daily life, people should know more about the related diseases they have. The common clinical symptoms of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy are mainly the following.

Symptoms of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy:

Neonatal HIE may present as intrauterine distress, such as a marked decrease in fetal movement, a slowing of the fetal heart rate to <120 beats/min, and turbid amniotic fluid stained with meconium. After birth, the Apgar score is significantly low, or manifested as cyanosis of the lips, etc., and artificial respiration is required. The following abnormal neurological symptoms may appear soon after birth (within 12 hours): impaired consciousness, such as excessive excitement (irritability, limb tremors, increased spontaneous movements, long eye opening time, staring, etc.), drowsiness (crying after tapping the soles of the feet three times), dullness (crying after tapping the soles of the feet five times), and even coma; changes in limb muscle tone, such as increased, decreased, or even loose tone; abnormal primitive reflexes, such as overactive, weakened or disappeared hugging reflex, and weakened or disappeared sucking reflex.

In more severe cases, there may be convulsions or frequent convulsions, and increased fontanelle tension may occur due to cerebral edema. Adult HIE will cause impaired consciousness, mental disorders, epileptic seizures, etc. after a clear history of brain tissue hypoxia. Severe cases may show symptoms of brainstem damage, manifesting as central respiratory failure symptoms such as irregular breathing, slow breathing, and apnea. Pupils may shrink or dilate, and the reaction to light may be slow or even absent. Some children may experience nystagmus.

Treatment:

There is still no complete and unified treatment plan for HIE. After years of clinical practice, the treatment of HIE in China has indeed improved, and the prognosis of HIE has also improved to a certain extent. The earlier the treatment of HIE is started, the better. For some severely asphyxiated children, if they become excited or irritable, or drowsy and depressed after resuscitation, the limb muscle tone and primitive reflexes should be carefully checked for changes. If they meet the clinical diagnostic basis of HIE, treatment should be started immediately. Although hypoxic-ischemic brain damage occurs in utero, it can continue to develop and even worsen after birth. Early treatment can prevent the further aggravation of hypoxic damage to nerve cells and prevent reperfusion injury from further deteriorating the condition. The most fundamental measure in treatment is to maintain the stability of the body's internal environment, maintain the normal functioning of various organs, and ensure that the metabolism of damaged nerve cells gradually recovers. On this basis, various symptomatic treatments, treatments for reperfusion injury, and brain cell metabolic activators can fully play their role.