Figure 1.

Flow diagram showing the phases of injury including hypoxia-ischemia, the latent phase, the secondary phase and the tertiary phase leading to the development of brain injury. Intervention during the latent phase with therapeutic hypothermia or prophylactic phenobarbital has the potential to reduce the development of brain injury as well as the occurrence of seizures. Intervention during the secondary phase with anticonvulsants such as phenobarbital, phenytoin, levetiracetam and midazolam may reduce seizure activity but their effects on long-term outcome are not clear.