EFFICACY OF ADJUVANT ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION IN SEVERE PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN ADMITTED BETWEEN 2 MONTHS TO 10 YEARS OF AGE

Abstract

Background: Even today, pneumonia is one of the most important causes of illness and death in children. This is particularly true in poorer countries. Zinc deficiency is common in children and causes problems with the immune system, and is likely to affect how severe respiratory infections get. Some study think that zinc could help improve the health of children with pneumonia who are in the hospital.

Objective: To study how zinc helps treat children with severe pneumonia

Study Design: Prospective study.

Study Setting: This study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, PAF Hospital, Islamabad.

Study Duration: Six Months (September 2024 to February, 2025).

Methodology: One hundred children between the ages of 2 months and 10 years with severe pneumonia were enrolled in the study. The children were divided randomly and equally into two groups. The first group, the intervention group, received the standard antibiotic therapy and also received zinc therapy, which was age-appropriate and given for 14 days. The second group, the control group, received the standard antibiotic therapy only. The study recorded the duration of fever, the degree of respiratory distress, the degree of oxygen needed, and the duration of the hospital stay. The study used SPSS version 26. The study considered a p-value of less than 0.05 to be statistically significant.

Results: The mean age of participants was 3.6 ± 2.1 years, with no significant age difference between groups (p = 0.74). Males constituted 56% of the study population. Children receiving zinc supplementation showed significantly faster clinical recovery. The mean duration of fever was shorter in the zinc group (3.1 ± 1.2 days) compared to controls (4.4 ± 1.5 days; p = 0.002). Resolution of respiratory distress occurred earlier (2.8 ± 1.0 vs. 4.0 ± 1.3 days; p = 0.001), and hospital stay was significantly reduced (5.2 ± 1.6 vs. 7.1 ± 2.0 days; p < 0.001). No significant adverse effects were observed.

Conclusion: The children showed clinical improvement and shorter durations of hospital stays with the addition of zinc to the hospital regimen. It is safe, inexpensive, and therapeutic, especially in the case of limited resources.