title: Nutritional treatment of patients with severe traumatic brain injury during the first six months after injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explored current nutritional treatment policies and nutritional outcome in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective, structured survey of the medical records of 64 patients up to 6 months after injury or until the patients were independent in nutritional administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Enteral nutrition was administered to 86% of patients. Fourteen patients (22%) had a gastrostomy; after 6 months four were still in use. At 6 months, 92% of patients received all food orally and 84% had gained nutritional independence. Energy intake was equal to the calculated basal metabolic rate throughout the first month after injury and increased by 21% during the second month. Sixty-eight percent exhibited signs of malnourishment with weight losses of 10-29%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that most patients with severe traumatic brain injury regain their nutritional independence within the first 6 months after injury, but also that most develop signs of malnutrition.
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. karolina.krakau@ds.se <karolina.krakau@ds.se>
authors: Karolina
authors: K
authors: Krakau
authors: Annette
authors: A
authors: Hansson
authors: Torbjörn
authors: T
authors: Karlsson
authors: Catharina Nygren
authors: CN
authors: de Boussard
authors: Christer
authors: C
authors: Tengvar
authors: Jörgen
authors: J
authors: Borg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss