Effect of Semi-elemental Enteral Nutrition on Gastrointestinal Tolerance in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury.

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Traumatic Brain Injury, Neurocritical Care, Enteral Feeding Intolerance

In brief

Study Objective This clinical trial primarily aims to investigate whether semi-elemental enteral nutrition (SEN) improves gastrointestinal tolerance in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to evaluate its impact on clinical outcomes. The safety profile of SEN will also be assessed. Key Research Questions Does SEN reduce the incidence of acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) in severe TBI patients? Study Design Participants will be randomized 1:1 into either: Intervention group: Receives SEN initiated within 48 hours post-injury and continued for ≥7 days. Control group: Receives standard enteral nutrition over the same period.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07092423
Run by: Tang-Du Hospital
People needed: 100
Starts: 2025-05-18
Expected to finish: 2027-05-31
Last updated by the study team: 2026-04-30

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 75. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Aged 18-75 years;
Clinically diagnosed with closed traumatic brain injury;
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ≤ 8;
Ability to initiate enteral nutrition within 48 hours post-injury;
Expected need for enteral nutrition support ≥3 days based on clinical assessment (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 [NRS2002] score ≥3).

You may not qualify if…

GCS=3 with bilateral fixed and dilated pupils;
Hemodynamic instability or respiratory failure: mean arterial pressure <70mmHg, PaO2/FiO2<150, PaCO2<30 mmHg or >45 mmHg, or lactate >5 mmol/l;
Contraindications to both nasogastric and nasojejunal tube placement, or inability to complete tube placement within 48 hours of onset;
Contraindications to enteral nutrition therapy or semi-recumbent positioning;
Pre-existing intellectual disability or physical disability affecting outcome assessment;
Gastrointestinal abnormalities likely to affect gastrointestinal function, such as short bowel syndrome (defined as total small bowel length ≤122 cm), ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, or any form of ostomy;
Body mass index (BMI) <18kg/m2;
Concomitant abdominal injury or extracranial injury with AIS score >3 in any region;
Presence of malignancy, severe cardiac insufficiency (ejection fraction <50%), severe hepatic failure (Child-Pugh score ≥7), or severe renal failure (glomerular filtration rate ≤30 mL/min or serum creatinine ≥4mg/dL) at NICU admission;
Concurrent severe disease with expected survival ≤14 days;
Pregnancy, within 30 days postpartum, or breastfeeding;
Refusal of treatment or receipt of palliative care;
Patient or family declines informed consent;
Current participation in another interventional clinical trial.

Where it is running

Tangdu Hospital — Xi'an, Shaanxi, China (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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