Effect of dexamethasone on nitrogen metabolism in brain-injured patients.

A randomized prospective clinical trial was conducted to determine the influence of dexamethasone therapy on nitrogen metabolism in patients with isolated head trauma without any pathologies. One group of 12 patients was not given steroids (groups NS). To the 12 patients of the second group, a dose of 0.36 mg/kg/day of dexamethasone was administered for the first nine days of stay (group S) in hospital. At the beginning of the study, between the two groups, there were no differences in age, sex, Glasgow Coma Scale Score, type of injury. In order to avoid bias, phenytoin, barbiturates and muscle-relaxant drugs were not given and the same caloric and protein intake was prefixed for both groups. The urea excretion, nitrogen output, nitrogen balance and cumulative nitrogen balance were not statistically different in the two groups throughout the period of study. Similar were also weight losses, blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen, albumin and creatinine levels. The outcome, evaluated at 3 months, was also similar. The incidence of sepsis, pulmonary and urinary infections, gastric reflux duration and quantity, was not higher in the steroid group compared with non-steroid treated patients.