The Brain Trauma Foundation. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons. The Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care. Nutrition

Nutritional support in head injury

Nutritional support is imperative to the recovery of head-injury patients. Hypermetabolism and hypercatabolism place this patient population at increased risk for weight loss, muscle wasting, and malnutrition. Nutrition management may be further complicated by alterations in gastrointestinal motility. Resting energy expenditure should be measured using indirect calorimetry and protein status measured using urine urea nitrogen. Providing early enteral nutrition within 72 hours of injury may decrease infection rates and overall complications. Establishing standards of practice and nutrition protocols will assure patients receive optimal nutrition assessment and intervention in a timely manner.

Systemic metabolic effects of combined insulin-like growth factor-I and growth hormone therapy in patients who have sustained acute traumatic brain injury

OBJECT

Hypermetabolism, hypercatabolism, refractory nitrogen wasting, hyperglycemia, and immunosuppression accompany traumatic brain injury (TBI). Pituitary dysfunction occurs, affecting growth hormone (GH) and plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations. The authors evaluated whether combination IGF-I/GH therapy improved metabolic and nutritional parameters after moderate to severe TBI.

METHODS

The authors conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind study comparing combination IGF-I/GH therapy and a placebo treatment. Ninety-seven patients with TBI were enrolled in the study within 72 hours of injury and were assigned to receive either combination IGF-I/GH therapy or placebo. All patients received concomitant nutritional support. Insulin-like growth factor-I was administered by continuous intravenous infusion (0.01 mg/kg/hr), and GH (0.05 mg/kg/day) was administered subcutaneously. Placebo control group patients received normal saline solution in place of both agents. Nutritional and metabolic monitoring continued throughout the 14-day treatment period. The two groups did not differ in energy expenditure, nutrient intake, or use of insulin treatment. The mean daily serum glucose concentration was higher in the treatment group (123 +/- 24 mg/dl) than in the control group (104 +/- 11 mg/dl) (p < 0.03). A positive nitrogen balance was achieved within the first 24 hours in the treatment group and remained positive in that group throughout the treatment period (p < 0.05). This pattern was not observed in the control group. Plasma IGF-I concentrations were above 350 ng/ml in the treatment group throughout the study period. Overall, the mean plasma IGF-I concentrations were 1003 +/- 480.6 ng/ml in the treatment group and 192 +/- 46.2 ng/ml in the control group (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of IGF-I and GH produced sustained improvement in metabolic and nutritional endpoints after moderate to severe acute TBI.

Implementing clinical guidelines for nutrition in a neurosurgical intensive care unit

Patients in neurosurgical intensive care have individual needs concerning nutrition because of their conditions. An important therapeutic goal is to prevent the development of malnutrition as it contributes to an increase in mortality and enhances the risk of complications in these patients. The health-care team has a mutual responsibility for this, although it is a complex task and a correct assessment of patients' nutritional needs is vital. Multidisciplinary clinical guidelines focused on nutrition might help the health-care staff in decision-making and allowing individualized treatment for patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation and use of such a guideline. The results show that the guideline is used in varying degrees by the health-care team. Areas that focused on more practical aspects of nutritional support seemed to have a unified approach, whereas areas on nutritional assessment and routine nutrition orders demonstrated both a lack of knowledge and unclear role responsibilities. The results reveal how different professional groups in health care perceive the implementation of a clinical guideline. Some areas need further clarification, there needs to be continuing development of nutritional guidelines, and education of staff is needed in order to enhance the nutritional care of patients.

Rehabilitation practice following profound brain damage

The rehabilitation of the person with profound brain damage is a complex process requiring the skills of a true interdisciplinary team. The process is as much about the ability to: assess and diagnose; provide the optimal environment for recovery; prevent and treat secondary complications; support the family; and modify the environment as it is about a formal rehabilitation programme. Ideally these should be seamless but each contains many challenges, including the experience and skills of the observer, the ability to communicate with members of the family, and the ability to work within an interdisciplinary team.

Primer on medical management of severe brain injury

OBJECTIVE

To review the current understanding of the medical management of severe brain injury.

DATA SOURCE

The MEDLINE database, bibliographies of selected articles, and current English-language texts on the subject.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies related to management of intracranial hypertension, traumatic brain injury, and brain edema.

DATA EXTRACTION

All studies relevant to the subject under consideration were considered, with a focus on clinical studies in adults.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Basic rules of resuscitation must apply, including adequate ventilation, appropriate fluid administration, and cardiovascular support. The control of intracranial pressure can be considered in three steps. The first step should be initial slight hyperventilation with a target PaCO2 of 35 mm Hg and cerebrospinal fluid drainage for intracranial pressure of >15-20 mm Hg. The second step should be mannitol or hypertonic saline and hyperventilation to target PaCO2 of 28-35 mm Hg. The third step should be barbiturate coma or decompressive craniectomy. Additional management issues, including seizure prophylaxis, sedation, nutritional support, use of hypothermia, and corticosteroids, are also discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

Brain injury is frequently associated with the development of brain edema and the development of intracranial hypertension. However, with a coordinated, stepwise, and aggressive approach to management, focusing on control of intracranial pressure without adversely affecting cerebral perfusion pressure, outcomes can be good.

Effects of immunonutrition on intestinal mucosal apoptosis, mucosal atrophy, and bacterial translocation in head injured rats

BACKGROUND

Immunonutrition has been demonstrated to modulate gut function, reduce infectious complications, hospital stay, and ventilator days in the critical patients.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We assessed the effect of immunonutrition for the prevention of intestinal mucosal atrophy, apoptosis, and bacterial translocation in head injured rats.

METHODS

Thirty five rats were randomised into 5 groups. Following moderate closed head injury, in Group 1; Standard Enteral Nutrition, Group 2; Immunonutrition, Group 3; TPN, Group 4; pe. saline were applied. Group 5 was control group (chow-fed). The rats were sacrificed and segments of the ileum were removed for histologic examination, and samples of tissues taken for microbiologic evaluation.

RESULTS

Both intestinal apoptosis and mucosal atrophy were significantly lower in Group 2 and Group 5 (p<0.008). Bacterial translocation was significantly lower in Group 2 than Group 1 (p<0.008).

CONCLUSION

The enteral immunonutrition prevents intestinal barrier function in brain injured rats.

Hyperthermia following traumatic brain injury: a critical evaluation

Hyperthermia, frequently seen in patients following traumatic brain injury (TBI), may be due to posttraumatic cerebral inflammation, direct hypothalamic damage, or secondary infection resulting in fever. Regardless of the underlying cause, hyperthermia increases metabolic expenditure, glutamate release, and neutrophil activity to levels higher than those occurring in the normothermic brain-injured patient. This synergism may further compromise the injured brain, enhancing the vulnerability to secondary pathogenic events, thereby exacerbating neuronal damage. Although rigorous control of normal body temperature is the current standard of care for the brain-injured patient, patient management strategies currently available are often suboptimal and may be contraindicated. This article represents a compendium of published work regarding the state of knowledge of the relationship between hyperthermia and TBI, as well as a critical examination of current management strategies.

Tolerability of bolus versus continuous gastric feeding in brain-injured patients

Brain injured patients may exhibit altered gastric emptying; thus, some believe post-pyloric feeding to be tolerated better than gastric feeding. Reliable post-pylorus access can be difficult to obtain, so gastric feeding remains the preferred route for administering nutrition. Feeding intolerance may be associated with increased complications and costs. We sought to compare bolus (B) versus continuous (C) gastric feeding in brain injured patients. This retrospective cohort study was carried out at a neurological/neurosurgical intensive care unit at a Level 1 trauma and tertiary referral center. Our subjects were 152 consecutive patients over two years. Use of B or C feedings was based on clinicians' preferences. Abdominal examination and gastric residuals (> 75 mL over four hours) defined feeding intolerance (FI). Putative risks for FI were compared between the groups. Demographic characteristics were similar between groups B (n = 86) and C (n = 66). Feeding intolerance occurred more often in group B than in group C (60.5% vs. 37.9%, p = 0.009). Group C patients achieved 75% of nutritional goals faster than group B patients (median 3.3 vs. 4.6 days; p = 0.03). Prokinetic agent use was similar between the groups and did not reduce the time to achieve nutritional goals. There was a trend towards a reduction in the incidence of infections in group C (p = 0.05). Independent predictors of FI included: sucralfate (OR 2.3), propofol (OR 2.1), pentobarbital (OR 3.9) or paralytic (OR 3) use; older age (OR 5); days receiving mechanical ventilation (OR 1.2); and admission diagnosis of either intracerebral hemorrhage (OR 2.2) or ischemic stroke (OR 1.9). Continuous gastric feeding is better tolerated than B feedings in patients with acute brain injuries. Use of prokinetic agents did not affect time to achievement of nutritional goals. Use of common medications including sucralfate and propofol were associated with FI.