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Effect of Oral Enteral Nutrition on Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Oral Versus Nasal Enteral Nutrition on Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Patients With Tracheostomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06304012
Enrollment
104
Registered
2024-03-12
Start date
2022-06-01
Completion date
2023-06-01
Last updated
2024-03-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Traumatic Brain Injury

Brief summary

This was a multicenter randomized controlled study of 98 severe Traumatic Brain Injury patients with tracheostomy. Patients enrolled were divided randomly into the observation group with Intermittent Oro-esophageal Tube Feeding (n=50) or the control group with Nasogastric tube feeding (n=48) for enteral nutrition support, respectively. Nutritional status, complications, decannulation of tracheostomy tubes and level of consciousness on day 1 and day 28 were recorded and compared.

Detailed description

The safe and effective nutrition support for severe traumatic brain injury patients with tracheostomy continues to be a challenge. Nasogastric tube feeding has been the mainstream choice in China but with the risk of complications. Intermittent Oro-esophageal Tube Feeding is an established modality of enteral nutrition support that can be used with routine treatment. This study reports the clinical outcomes of Intermittent Oro-esophageal Tube Feeding vs. nasogastric tube feeding, in patients receiving routine treatment. This was a multicenter randomized controlled study of 98 severe traumatic brain injury patients with tracheostomy. Patients enrolled were divided randomly into the observation group with Intermittent Oro-esophageal Tube Feeding (n=50) or the control group with Nasogastric tube feeding (n=48) for enteral nutrition support, respectively. Nutritional status, complications, decannulation of tracheostomy tubes and level of consciousness on day 1 and day 28 were recorded and compared.

Interventions

DEVICENasogastric tube feeding

The patients in the control group were provided nutrition support with Nasogastric tube feeding, while the feeding process strictly followed the relevant guideline. During the treatment, the patients remained in a continuous state of tube indwelling, receiving feeding every 2-3 hours with a maximum feeding volume of 200ml, of which the contents were consistent with the observation group. The entire feeding process was conducted by trained nursing staff. Besides, the tube was replaced by a new one every 5-7 days.

DEVICEIntermittent Oro-esophageal Tube Feeding

The entire feeding process strictly followed the standard procedure of Intermittent Oro-esophageal Tube Feeding(18). During the feeding process, patients were maintained in a semi-recumbent position with their head elevated, facilitating the placement of the tube into the oral cavity along one side, with the chin brought close to the manubrium sterni.

BEHAVIORALRehabilitation therapy

Acupuncture: Regular acupuncture treatment that can prevent muscle atrophy, improve circulation, and have a stimulating effect. Exercise therapy: Training that focused on limb movements or joint mobilization to prevent muscle contracture, reduce joint mobility, improve spasms, and promote blood circulation. Others: Regular turning, back patting, and position changes performed by caregivers.

Sponsors

Muhammad
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* age ≥ 18 years, meeting the diagnosis of severe Traumatic Brain Injury, confirmed through MRI * score of Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) \<8; * presence of no contraindication for enteral nutrition; * with stable vital signs and no severe liver or kidney dysfunction, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, or multiple complications; * informed consent form was obtained from the patient's family members.

Exclusion criteria

* unable to cooperate in completing treatment and assessment due to personal reasons or other disorders; * complicated with other intracranial lesions, such as stroke; * with severe consciousness disorders caused by other diseases.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Concentration of hemoglobinday 1 and day 28hemoglobin was tested with blood routine test
Concentration of albuminday 1 and day 28albumin was tested with blood routine test
Concentration of prealbuminday 1 and day 28prealbumin was tested with blood routine test
Nutritional status-body mass indexday 1 and day 28body mass index was tested with body weight and height. Combination was calculated as: body weight (kg) / height (m)\^2.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Complications-Diarrheaday 1 and day 28Monitoring for loose or watery stools, which may indicate gastrointestinal disturbances or medication side effects.
Complications-Constipationday 1 and day 28Assessing the occurrence of infrequent bowel movements or difficulty passing stools.
Complications-Pulmonary Infectionsday 1 and day 28During the treatment, the occurrence of complications was recorded for both groups(24). These complications included but were not limited to: 1) Pulmonary Infections: Monitoring for the development of respiratory infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis.
Level of consciousnessday 1 and day 28The Glasgow Coma Scale was used to assess the level of consciousness in patients. A score of 15 indicates normal consciousness, a score of 13-14 indicates mild consciousness impairment, a score of 9-12 indicates moderate consciousness impairment, and a score less than 8 indicates severe consciousness impairment.
Decannulation of tracheostomy tube-placement durationday 1 and day 28The duration of tracheostomy tube retention and the outcomes of decannulation were recorded for two groups during the treatment. The criteria for tracheostomy tube removal were as follows: patients should exhibit no significant pulmonary complications (including the progressive decline in blood oxygen, carbon dioxide retention, pneumonia, etc.) during the capping trial, and should exhibit stable, regular breath and not require reintubation or tracheostomy within 72 hours after tube removal.
Complications-Gastroesophageal Refluxday 1 and day 28Gastroesophageal Reflux: Assessing the occurrence of reflux from the stomach into the esophagus, which can cause symptoms like heartburn and regurgitation.
Complications- Gastrointestinal Bleedingday 1 and day 28Observing for any signs of bleeding within the digestive tract, which may manifest as blood in the stool or vomiting of blood.
Complications-Gastric Retentionday 1 and day 28Evaluating whether there was delayed emptying of the stomach contents, leading to symptoms such as bloating, nausea, and vomiting.

Countries

Taiwan

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026