What can lead to Brain Injury?

Brain injury can occur in various healthcare settings and may have devastating consequences for both the affected patient and their family. 
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1. Delayed Diagnosis or Misdiagnosis: Failure to diagnose or the misdiagnosis of serious conditions such as strokes, brain tumours, intracranial haemorrhages, or infections can lead to delays in treatment.  This can result in a worsening of the underlying condition and cause brain injury.
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2. Surgical Errors/Complications: Surgical errors during neurosurgical procedures, such as errors in incision placement, inadequate haemostasis (the process of stopping bleeding) leading to bleeding, damage to brain structures, or postoperative infections, can result in brain injury.
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3. Anaesthesia Errors/Anaesthesia Awareness: Errors in administering anaesthesia during surgical procedures can lead to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain (hypoxia) or inadequate blood flow (hypoperfusion), resulting in brain injury. Anaesthesia-related complications such as anaesthesia awareness or medication errors can also lead to brain injury.
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4. Birth Injuries: Negligence during labour or during childbirth, such as a failure to monitor foetal distress, an improper use of delivery instruments (e.g., forceps or vacuum extractors), delayed caesarean section, or mishandling of shoulder dystocia, can lead to birth-related brain injuries such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy, or intracranial haemorrhages.‍
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5. Medication Errors: Errors in medication, such as incorrect dosages, wrong medications, drug interactions, or allergic reactions, can lead to adverse effects on the brain, including medication-induced seizures, hypoglycaemia, or toxic encephalopathy.‍
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6. Inadequate Monitoring and Supervision: Negligence in monitoring and supervising patients in healthcare settings, such as a failure to recognise and respond to changes in vital signs, neurological status, or signs of distress, can result in delayed intervention and subsequent brain injury.
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7. ‍Inadequate Treatment of Infections: Failure to diagnose or adequately treat infections such as meningitis, encephalitis, or sepsis promptly can lead to complications such as brain abscesses, inflammation, or permanent brain damage.‍
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8. Deprivation of Oxygen : Oxygen deprivation can occur during medical or surgical procedures resulting in injury.  This can affect adults as well as children and babies and can sometimes result in devastating, life-changing injuries affecting mobility, speech and other aspects of day-to-day life, not just for the person who has been injured but for the whole family.
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A family’s life can be turned upside down overnight. Sometimes, the injuries are so severe that the injured adult or baby may need 24-hour care throughout their lifetime.
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If it can be proved that the brain injury was avoidable, and was caused because of negligent care, then a claim may provide the financial means to make improvements to the patient’s quality of life.  It can also make a huge difference to your life if you are their carer.
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Deprivation of oxygen to a baby’s brain either before, during or after delivery can result in brain damage. 
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Lack of oxygen can cause a number of different types of brain damage.  A baby may suffer from HIE (Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy), Cerebral Palsy, and other types of brain injury.