To investigate the influence of nutritional support at different timings on nutritional status and immune function in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI).

Eighty-four patients with sTBI admitted to Neurosurgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University were selected from September 2020 to September 2021 and were divided into two groups based on the different timings of nutritional support. The early group (45 cases) received nutritional support within 12 h of admission, while the delayed group (39 cases) received nutritional support after 48 h of admission. The stress state [white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count (NEU), blood glucose (Glu)], nutritional indicators [total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), hemoglobin (Hb)], immune function indicators [T lymphocyte subsets (CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺and CD4⁺/CD8⁺)] and occurrence of complications of the two groups of patients were compared before treatment and after 1 week of treatment.

After 1 week of treatment, the levels of WBC, NEU and Glu in the two groups were lower than those before treatment, and the early group had lower levels (P<0.05). The levels of TP, ALB, Hb, and serum CD3⁺, CD4⁺, and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ in the two groups after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment, and the above levels in the early group were significantly higher than those in the delayed group (P<0.05). The incidence rates of complications in the early group were significantly lower than those in the delayed group, and the acute gastric mucosal injury and mortality within 6 months were significantly lower than those in the delayed group (P<0.05).

Early nutritional support for patients with sTBI can effectively improve the stress state and nutritional status, enhance the immune function, and contribute to the prognosis of patients.