Zinc as an Adjuvant Therapy in Acute Severe Pneumonia in Children Aged Two Months to Two Years: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract
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…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 94 participants or records.
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