In a report released today, the Institute of Medicine recommends that soldiers who suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the field of battle must receive adequate calories and protein immediately after the injury and for at least 2 weeks after to help reduce inflammation and minimize the damage to the brain. The report was commissioned by the Department of Defense, which wanted a review of the potential role of nutrition in minimizing the impact of brain injury, a signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The panel of experts who drafted the report noted that although current guidelines for treating TBI recommend early feeding, the details vary.
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