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Zinc as an Adjuvant Therapy in Acute Severe Pneumonia in Children Aged Two Months to Two Years: A Double-Blind
S K Padmini1, Kasa Mahesh2, H Durgappa2
1Pediatrics, Dr. Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Foundation, Chinna Avutapalli, IND.
Insights
Zinc supplementation may shorten cough and cold duration in hospitalized children with severe pneumonia. However, overall recovery and hospitalization times did not show statistically significant improvements, warranting further research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Nutritional Science
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Severe pneumonia is a significant health concern in rural Indian children.
- Standard antimicrobial therapy is the current treatment for severe pneumonia.
- The role of zinc supplementation in pediatric pneumonia requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation combined with standard antimicrobial therapy for severe pneumonia in children aged 2-24 months.
- To identify factors contributing to pneumonia development in this population.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial involving 94 hospitalized children with severe pneumonia.
- Participants received either zinc gluconate (10 mg) or a placebo twice daily, alongside standard treatment.
- Clinical signs, symptoms, and laboratory parameters were monitored.
Main Results:
- The zinc group showed a significantly shorter median duration of cough and cold.
- Stunted children receiving zinc had a statistically significant faster recovery time (3.12 fewer days).
- No significant differences were found in the duration of tachypnea, hypoxia, chest indrawing, feeding difficulties, lethargy, or overall hospitalization.
Conclusions:
- Zinc supplementation showed potential benefits in reducing symptom duration but did not significantly impact overall recovery or hospitalization.
- Further research is necessary to confirm the role of zinc in improving clinical outcomes for severe pediatric pneumonia.
Introduction:
The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation, in addition to standard antimicrobial therapy, in the treatment of severe pneumonia among hospitalized rural Indian children aged 2-24 months. It also sought to identify factors associated with the development of pneumonia in this population.
Methodology:
A hospital-based, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was conducted from September to December 2022, registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI/2022/09/046070). A total of 94 children with severe pneumonia were randomly assigned to receive either 10 mg of zinc gluconate (2.5 ml) or a placebo twice daily during hospitalization, along with standard therapy. Clinical signs, symptoms, and laboratory parameters were monitored, and baseline characteristics were compared between the groups.
Results:
The median duration of cough and cold in the Zinc group was significantly shorter compared to the Control group (p = 0.013, p = 0.005, respectively). Among stunted children, those in the Zinc group required about 3.12 fewer days for recovery compared to those in the Control group, and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in the duration of tachypnea, hypoxia, chest indrawing, inability to feed, lethargy, severe illness, or overall hospitalization.
Conclusion:
While zinc supplementation demonstrated potential benefits such as reduced hospital stay and faster symptom resolution, these differences were not statistically significant. Further research is needed to validate zinc role in improving clinical outcomes in severe pediatric pneumonia.
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