What is transient hypoxia? This medical condition impacts individuals who do not receive enough oxygen to their brains for a short period of time. In many cases, this condition affects newborns who receive incorrect care during or after delivery.
You can review this legal guide to learn more about the condition, symptoms, treatment options, and long-term effects. You can also explore opportunities to secure compensation for your family in cases involving medical malpractice by working with a hypoxia attorney.
What Happens During Transient Hypoxia?
Hypoxia occurs anytime an individual does not get enough oxygen to a specific part of their body. Often, we focus on hypoxia of the brain. However, all parts of your body require oxygen to remain healthy and undamaged.
Medical professionals use the term “transient hypoxia” only to refer to cases of hypoxia that occur for a relatively short time. Individuals at any age can experience hypoxia. However, medical professionals exhibit increased concern when newborns face this condition.
Even a half-hour without adequate oxygen flow can dramatically affect an infant’s health. In some cases, this condition relates to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
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What Is the Difference Between Hypoxia and Ischemia?
Hypoxia and ischemia may relate to one another and even occur simultaneously in some cases. Hypoxia involves decreased oxygen to a specific part of the body. Newborn brain ischemia occurs when infants do not get enough blood flow to a part of their body.
Insufficient blood flow can also lead to decreased oxygen levels. Therefore, these two conditions often coincide with one another.
However, they often vary in the duration of their initial effect. Transient hypoxia, for example, can occur multiple times for short periods. On the other hand, HIE usually occurs as a single event that may cause significant trauma.
What Are the Five Signs of Hypoxia?
The signs of transient hypoxia can vary based on the patient’s age. According to the Cleveland Clinic, older patients often report headaches, anxiety, confusion, and even restlessness.
Patients of all ages, including newborns, may demonstrate:
- Rapid respiration
- Weak or slow respiration
- A rapid or fast pulse
Additionally, medical professionals often examine newborns and infants for symptoms like bluish or grayish skin color and weak reflexes. Noticing hypoxia quickly can allow medical providers to begin treatment, reducing the severity of the event.
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Can You Build a Claim if Your Child Experienced Transient Hypoxia?
As a legal guide on transient hypoxia, we can cover your legal options if your child experiences this condition. Based on the circumstances surrounding the diagnosis, you may have a chance to seek compensation for your family’s losses.
Generally, you only have a chance to file a claim if a medical professional engaged in malpractice, leading to hypoxia. Healthcare workers demonstrate malpractice if they:
- Have a doctor-patient relationship with your child
- Fail to uphold an appropriate standard of care
- Directly cause the condition that injured your child
Note that not all medical mistakes represent an act of malpractice. Medical professionals must act in a way outside of the norm of the profession to face a malpractice accusation.
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What Damages Can Your Family Receive After Transient Hypoxia?
Legally, your family may have a chance to secure damages after a transient hypoxia diagnosis. In this situation, a birth injury lawyer can assess all the facts of the case and your associated losses.
Families do not all receive the same amount of compensation through hypoxia claims. The compensation you receive depends on the:
- Expenses for your child’s medical care
- Time you have to take off work to care for your child
- Costs for assistive devices for your child
- Pain and suffering experienced by your child
A birth injury lawyer can assess your situation, advising you about the types of compensation available for your family.
What Are Your Legal Options to Build a Transient Hypoxia Claim?
According to most legal guides, you have two primary options to build a claim after a transient hypoxia diagnosis. Generally, you can:
Settle With the Insurance Company
Medical professionals often look to settle malpractice cases. Settling involves coming to an agreement with the insurance company for coverage of your losses. However, you do not have to accept the first settlement offer they make.
In fact, in many cases, insurance agents offer a subpar settlement at first. You can have a birth injury lawyer look the settlement over and negotiate for increased compensation for your family.
File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Depending on your situation, you may also have the option to file a lawsuit accusing a medical professional of malpractice. However, it takes significant evidence to prove a malpractice claim in court.
Lawyers build medical malpractice cases by working with experts, interviewing witnesses, and reviewing all the actions taken by your healthcare workers. You can learn more by reaching out to a legal team today.
How Long do You Have to Pursue a Legal Claim for Hypoxia
You may want to move quickly if you have a legal claim for a transient hypoxia diagnosis. Most states have a statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims. Once the statute expires, you have limited options to pursue damages for your losses.
Speak to a Lawyer About Transient Hypoxia Claims
What is transient hypoxia? It represents a health condition that occurs when people get inadequate oxygen for a short period. You can increase your knowledge beyond this legal guide by reaching out to a birth injury lawyer about a claim.
Find out more by completing our online contact form or calling us for assistance.
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