European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: Pediatric pneumonia is an acute infection typically associated with respiratory symptoms and clinical and/or radiological evidence of parenchymal involvement. Worldwide pneumonia is leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. Pneumonia is defined as the infection of lung parenchyma is the single leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children less than 5 years worldwide. OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of ZINC supplementation as an adjuvant therapy on outcome of pneumonia. MATERIAL & METHODS: Study Design: Prospective hospital based comparative study. Study area: Department of PAEDIATRICS, Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, Suraram, Hyderabad. Study Period: Aug. 2019 – July 2020. Study population: children of age group 2 months to 5 years attending to the OPD (either of the sex) fulfilling IMNCI guidelines for Acute Pneumonia. Sample size: study consisted a total of 100 cases. Sampling method: Simple Random sampling method. Study tools and Data collection procedure: The Care takers will be explained about the purpose of the study and a written assent will be taken. Data will be collected in a pre –designed, pre-structured, questionnaire which will include demographic details of patients such as Name, Age, Sex, Education, Per capita Income, Social Class, Residence, Signs & Symptoms of Pneumonia, Nutritional assessment, Dietary History, Immunization history and other investigative findings will also be included. For children up to 2months of age group RR >60 is taken as tachypnea. For children 2months up to 1-year RR > 50 is taken as tachypnea. For children 1year to 5 years RR > 40 is taken as tachypnea 5 years RR > 40 is taken as tachypnea. The 100 selected participants (either of the sex) will be grouped in to two study groups and each group will be allotted 50 patients. Results: The mean time required for zinc group to become asymptomatic was 66.44±34.75 hrs vs. 87.20±38.65 hrs in Non-zinc group (p= 0.055). This is statistically significant. The mean time for the disappearance of danger signs was 46.66±14.49 hours in zinc group and 64.28±12.80 hrs in Non-zinc group (p=0.262). present study showed mean time for disappearance of danger sign was less in zinc supplemented group (but statistically no significant). CONCLUSION: According to the results of the present study and comparing them with other similar studies in this field, it can be inferred that zinc can hasten the recovery from pneumonia and quickly resolve its symptoms in children suffering from this disease.