Antisecretory Factor May Reduce ICP in Severe TBI-A Case Series

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health crisis with high mortality and morbidity.
• Existing clinical treatments for TBI have shown limited success, particularly in managing cerebral edema.
• Antisecretory factor, an endogenous protein available as Salovum®, has demonstrated efficacy in experimental trauma models but lacked human TBI data.

Observation:

• A case series involving five adult patients with severe TBI treated with Salovum was conducted.
• Patients received 1g/kg/day of Salovum via nasogastric tube for five days.
• Intracranial pressure (ICP) was monitored throughout the treatment period.

Findings:

• Salovum administration, alongside deep sedation, helped control ICP in three out of five patients, with temporary challenges during gastroparesis.
• All five patients experienced favorable short-term outcomes, and four of five showed favorable long-term outcomes.
• No adverse toxicity was observed during the Salovum treatment course.

Implications:

• These findings suggest that Salovum may have a beneficial effect in reducing ICP and improving clinical outcomes in severe TBI patients.
• The results support the initiation of a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to further validate the efficacy of antisecretory factor in TBI.
• Further research will focus on 30-day mortality, ICP, and neurointensive care unit resource utilization as primary and secondary outcomes.