The objectives of this study were to determine the ability of enteral hyperalimentation to meet the caloric and protein requirements in acute severe head injury, and to study the effect of increasing protein intake on nitrogen balance. This consecutive series of 20 patients suffered acute severe head injury and remained comatose for at least 24 hours. They were all without other major injuries, and were treated with steroids. These patients were randomly placed in two comparable treatment groups: one group was fed with an enteral formula containing 14% of its calories as protein and the other group received a formula containing 22% protein calories. Feedings were advanced to replace 140% of caloric expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry, averaging 3500 kcal/24 hr. Balance periods of the targeted intake were 7 days in duration, and were begun during the 1st week after injury for 65% of patients and in the 2nd week after injury for 35% of patients. The lower protein group received an average of 26.8 gm/24 hr of nitrogen, equivalent to 188 gm of protein, and the higher protein group 34.3 gm/24 hr, equivalent to 231 gm of protein. Nitrogen balance was -9.2 +/- 6.7 gm/24 hr in the lower protein group and -5.3 +/- 5.0 gm/24 hr in the higher protein group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance because of sample size and variability in extent of catabolism among patients. Despite the hyperalimentation, there was a mean negative cumulative nitrogen balance of 200 gm by the 2nd week after injury, and only three patients achieved net nitrogen equilibrium for the 7-day balance period. Despite enteral hyperalimentation, the patients' weight fell by 15% in the 2nd week, serum albumin was often decreased, and creatinine-height index decreased over time but remained in a normal range. Monitoring urinary urea nitrogen, which has been advocated as a generally available technique for measuring urinary nitrogen concentration, was found to be a poor measure of urinary nitrogen excretion. This work has demonstrated: 1) that high caloric and protein feedings may be delivered for prolonged periods enterally for most patients in the acute phase of head injury with few metabolic complications, and 2) that increasing the nitrogen content of feedings from 14% to 22% may somewhat improve nitrogen retention, although nitrogen equilibrium is seldom achieved.