Hypoxic brain injuries are caused by the supply of oxygen to be brain being depleted. It is different from anoxic injury in that there is oxygen going to the brain, just not enough. However, it is no less severe than anoxic brain injury and can have the same devastating effects. Hypoxic brain injuries can be the result of several different things, some of which can occur without the individual realizing there is a problem until it is too late. This is what happens with carbon monoxide poisoning. The brain is slowly deprived of oxygen and often the individual either dies or lapses into coma before the cause is realized. Other actions that can result in hypoxic brain injury include strangulation, near drowning, choking, cardiac arrest and head trauma. Some cases of hypoxic brain injury remain a mystery that medical science hasn't found. As with other brain injuries, hypoxia can cause individuals to lapse into coma or even die. The biggest consideration is how long the brain has been without oxygen, something that is often not known. Recovery is very dependent on how long the brain was without oxygen and the underlying cause for the hypoxia.