Study of zinc sulphate in pneumonia

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of zinc sulphate on improving the clinical symptoms of pneumonia in 2-59- month-old children. Materials and methods: A clinical study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital,Darbhanga, Bihar,India . The children with pneumonia were randomly assigned into intervention (n=70), and control (n=70) groups. The control group received placebo. The intervention group received zinc sulphate as 10 mg/day in children younger than one, and 20 mg/day in children above one yearold every 12 hours (during hospitalization). During hospitalization, every 12 hours the clinical symptoms of both groups including tachypnoea (number of breaths), coughs, fever, intercostal retraction, hypoxia, crackles, wheezing, lethargy, and duration of hospitalization were evaluated. In both groups, at the beginning and end of hospitalization, Blood sample was taken for the necessary tests and for determining the serum level of zinc through the brachial vein and sent to laboratory. Results:In this study 140 patients were included. Out of 140, 70 patients were included to the intervention and 70 to the control groups. The gender distribution of the tested patients was 57.14% boys and 42.86% girls. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, and weight. The mean age of the hospitalized patients was12.83±0.705, with the minimum andmaximum of 2 and 59 months-old, respectively. The mean age in the intervention group was 13.91±0.812 and in the control it was 11.78±0.754 (p>0.05). The mean age of hospitalization in the case and control groups was 13.85±0.805 and 13.04±0.784 months, respectively, which was not statistically significant (p=0.511). The mean duration of hospitalization was 6.11±0.625, with the minimum and maximum of 2 and 12 days respectively. The mean duration of hospitalization cases and control groups was 6.2±0.316 and 4.85±0.328 days respectively; based on the Mann-Whitney test, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.118).  Conclusion:Zinc sulphate in children referring with pneumonia symptoms had a useful effect on reducing the duration of fever and improving the respiratory status (tachypnea) in 2 to 59- month-old children.

Keywords: Pneumonia, zinc, supplementation, treatment.