Blood flow and metabolic therapy in CNS injury.

A hypermetabolic state, consisting of increased resting energy expenditure, excessive protein wasting, and hyperglycemia, occurs in patients with a severe head injury. The hypermetabolism can affect survival by rapidly resulting in protein-calorie malnutrition (increased energy expenditure and protein wasting) and may adversely affect neurological recovery by altering the microenvironment of the injured brain (hyperglycemia).