Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Murine Model of Controlled Cortical Impact for the Induction of Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 16, 2019
Immunonutrition for traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents: protocol for a systematic review and
Rong Peng1,2,3,4, Hailong Li1,2,3, Lijun Yang5
1Department of Pharmacy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Insights
This systematic review evaluates immune-enhancing nutrition for pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Evidence is needed to determine if specialized supplements improve outcomes for children with TBI.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care
- Neuroscience
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in children globally.
- Current guidelines recommend nutritional support within 5-7 days post-injury.
- The efficacy of immune-enhancing nutrition (immunonutrition) in pediatric TBI is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the efficacy and safety of immunonutrition in pediatric TBI patients.
- To provide evidence-based guidance for clinical decision-making in managing pediatric TBI.
- To assess the impact of immunonutrition on clinical outcomes and adverse events.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs.
- Searches of Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, clinicaltrials.gov, and WHO ICTRP up to January 2020.
- Independent study selection and data extraction by two reviewers, with risk-of-bias assessment.
Main Results:
- The review will synthesize data on outcomes such as hospital stay, infection rates (wound, pneumonia, UTI, bacteraemia), and mortality.
- Meta-analysis will be performed if studies are homogeneous; subgroup analysis will explore heterogeneity.
- The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach will assess evidence levels.
Conclusions:
- The findings will clarify the role of immunonutrition in pediatric TBI management.
- Evidence generated will inform clinical practice and guidelines for nutritional support in pediatric TBI.
- This review aims to improve patient outcomes by optimizing nutritional interventions.
Introduction:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of paediatric trauma death and disability worldwide. The 'Guidelines for the Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (Fourth Edition)' recommend that nutritional goals should be achieved within 5-7 days of injury. Immune-enhancing nutrition or immunonutrition, referring to the addition of specialised nutrients, including glutamine, alanine, omega-3 fatty acids and nucleotides, to standard nutrition formulas, may improve surgical outcomes in the perioperative period. However, the role of immune-enhancing nutritional supplements for patients with paediatric TBI remains unclear. We will conduct a systematic review to determine the efficacy and safety of immunonutrition for patients with paediatric TBI and provide evidence for clinical decision-making.
Methods And Analysis:
Studies reporting immune-enhancing nutrition treatments for patients with paediatric TBI will be included. Outcomes of interest include the length of hospital stay, wound infections, all-cause mortality, non-wound infection, including pneumonia, urinary tract infection and bacteraemia, and the reports adverse events. Duration of follow-up has no restriction. Primary studies consisting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs will be eligible for this review, and only studies published in English will be included. We will search the Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases from their inception dates to January 2020. We will also search clinicaltrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for additional information. Two reviewers will independently select studies and extract data. Risk-of-bias will be assessed with tools based on the Cochrane risk-of-bias criteria and Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. A meta-analysis will be used to pool data when there are sufficient studies with homogeneity. Heterogeneity of the estimates across studies will be assessed; if necessary, a subgroup analysis will be performed to explore the source of heterogeneity. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation method will be applied to assess the level of evidence obtained from this systematic review.
Ethics And Dissemination:
The proposed systematic review and meta-analysis will be based on published data, and thus ethical approval is not required. The results of this review will be published.
Prospero Registration Number:
CRD42020154814.
More Related Videos
08:27Development of an Uncomplicated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Model Modified by Weight-Drop Method and Evidenced by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: April 11, 2025
07:01A Pediatric Concussion Model in Mice: Closed Head Injury with Long-Term Disorders (CHILD)
Published on: February 7, 2025
