Urinary catecholamine excretion and thyroid hormone blood level in the course of severe acute brain damage.

Urinary catecholamine excretion and thyroid hormone blood level were studied in 16 patients following severe cerebral trauma. Increased excretion rates of epinephrine and norepinephrine were found. There was no significant difference in the catecholamine excretion when compared with generally traumatized patients. The relationships between catecholamine excretion, increased metabolic rates, and negative nitrogen balance indicate that in patients with a midbrain syndrome there exists an additional diencephalic metabolic factor, which leads to a rise in fat oxidation and perpetuation of catabolism. Early high caloric parenteral nutrition seems to inhibit the initial increase of catecholamine excretion and thus protects the body from an unnecessary breakdown of its own reserves. If the course is classified according to neurological stages, it can be shown that patients with a traumatic apallic syndrome in poor condition have a high increase of catecholamine excretion. Secretion of thyroid hormones is not influenced significantly by cerebral trauma.