Hypoxia and Medical Malpractice

Hypoxia or anoxia is the medical term for a diminished supply of oxygen to the body and can form the basis of a medical malpractice lawsuit if damages are suffered. All human body cells require oxygen to stay alive and function properly; when this flow is interrupted it can have serious consequences, including death.

When oxygen has not reached the rest of the body, it is called generalized hypoxia, and where it has not reached a particular part of the body, it is called tissue hypoxia. Although hypoxia is often associated with birth and delivery, especially regarding premature babies, it can also happen during other situations as well — and when the cause of hypoxia is a negligent medical professional, the patient or his/her representative may have a claim of medical malpractice.
In births, some common causes of hypoxia include the following:

• Bleeding
• Low blood pressure
• Low heart rate
• Umbilical cord cutting off air supply

Because premature babies are especially at risk, a medical professional should monitor the fetus and the mother as early as possible from the beginning of labor. Some possible consequences of hypoxia in babies aside from death include the following:

• Attention span problems
• Blindness
• Brain damage
• Breathing problems
• Cerebral palsy
• Coma
• Muscle spasms
• Physical and mental difficulties
• Poor motor skills
• Seizures

In adults, hypoxia can result from a variety of events including heart attacks, surgery in which there is excessive bleeding, anesthesia errors, and other instances of trauma. Essentially any time blood flow or blood pressure is compromised, medical professionals should be careful to watch for symptoms of hypoxia setting in. The potential consequences of hypoxia in adults are similar to those for babies.