Factors influencing achievement of total enteral nutritional support in patients with severe traumatic brain injury at the Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Objectives: to determine time taken to initiate feeding, achieving total caloric replacement and factors affecting this process in patients with severe head injury.
Setting: A four-month prospective descriptive study was conducted at the Kenyatta National Hospital Neurosurgery unit between December 2013 to March 2014.
Subjects: we conducted the study at the Kenyatta National Hospital on 43 patients admitted with severe head injury. We correlated achieving total enteral nutrition support to CT scan findings, Glasgow coma score, glucose levels and gastric tolerance.
Results: Total caloric replacement was achieved within 96 hours in 97% of the patients. Patients with abnormal CT scan findings, low Glasgow coma score, abnormal glucose levels and gastric intolerance took longer to achieve total caloric replacement.
Conclusion: This study showed early initiation of TEN within 48 hours is possible with achievement of TEN within 96 hours hence recommends this as an acceptable practice to patients with severe head injury.