Extracranial Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Narrative Review

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often associated with other injuries and comorbidities. However, even isolated TBI directly leads to dysfunction in multiple body systems outside the central nervous system. These extracranial effects of TBI target systems including the autonomic nervous, cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary, immune, gastrointestinal, and hemostasis systems, as well as causing significant alteration to systemic metabolism.

This review is intended to outline the effects of TBI on other body systems, and place these in context with treatment considerations for these patients.

Systemic effects of TBI have implications for acute and critical care management of patients with TBI, including pharmacologic treatment. They also affect treatment decisions in chronic TBI care, as well as TBI-unrelated routine medical care for patients with chronic TBI. In addition, extracranial effects of TBI should be considered in research settings.

It is important for clinicians and researchers to be aware of these extracranial effects, and consider their effects on pathology, treatment decisions, and interpretation of research findings.