These include but are not limited to gun shot wounds, knife wounds, axe wounds, ice pick wounds, harpoon wounds, metallic fragment wounds, hard wood wounds, nails, masonry and others. Depending on the site of the penetration, the size of the object and the degree of the brain injury, recovery may be complete and rapid or partial and slow. Whenever an insufficient amount of oxygen reaches the brain, the term anoxia or hypoxia is applied. Anoxia is a total absence of oxygen. The brain cannot survive more than 2 minutes without oxygen.
Hypoxia is an insufficient amount of oxygen.
These types of injury to the brain usually occur after a near drowning, a suffocation, smoke inhalation or a crush injury to the chest. The duration and the degree of oxygen deprivation dictates the subsequent degree of injury to the brain, but the exact duration and degree are often unknown so the extent of injury may not be recognized until days, weeks or months following the event. Brain Tumors Growths or tumors in the brain may be single or multiple. They may invade or compress brain cells. Infections Infections of the brain may be caused by bacteria or by viruses.