Keywords
Enteral nutrition
Feeding intolerance
Nurse-led care
Tolerance management
Neurocritical care
Submitted : 2026-05-31
Accepted : 2026-06-15
Published : 2026-06-30
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a nurse-led early enteral nutrition (EN) tolerance management protocol in reducing feeding intolerance and improving nutritional outcomes among patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI). Methods: A total of 128 STBI patients admitted to the neurosurgical intensive care unit between June 2024 and June 2025 were enrolled. The control group received conventional EN care from June to December 2024, while the intervention group received the nurse-led protocol from January to June 2025. The primary outcomes were feeding intolerance incidence, target caloric achievement rate on day 4, nocturnal feeding prevalence, and ICU length of stay. Results: The incidence of feeding intolerance was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group . The intervention group demonstrated higher target caloric achievement rates on day 4 and day 7 . Nocturnal feeding was significantly reduced , and ICU length of stay was shorter .Conclusion: The nurse-led early EN tolerance management protocol effectively reduces feeding intolerance, enhances early nutritional adequacy, minimizes nocturnal feeding disruptions, and shortens ICU stay for STBI patients.
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