Role of Zinc Supplementation in Treating Acute Respiratory Infection in Children Under 5 Years of Age

Objective: To compare the efficacy of added zinc supplementation to standard treatment in improving the course of acute respiratory infections (ARI) when compared with standard treatment alone in children under 5 years of age Study Design: Quasi-experimental study Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pediatrics, Fauji foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi from July -Dec 2024Methodology: 120 patients were added to the study protocol divided into Group-A (n=60) to receive zinc supplementation with standard anti-biotic therapy and Group-B (n=60) to receive only standard antibiotic therapy. Primary variables measured were mean time to resolution of ALRI and clinical signs and symptoms. Secondary outcomes were duration of hospital stay between both groups.Results: Mean time to resolution of ALRI was 2.580.64 days versus 3.680.59 days between both groups (p<0.001). Mean time to resolution of clinical variables of ALRI between both groups showed that tachypnea resolved in 16.153.79 hours versus 24.083.87 hours between both groups (p<0.001), fever resolved in 22.083.72 hours versus 29.054.80 hours (p<0.001), chest findings of infection resolved in 16.583.82 hours versus 23.874.54 hours (p<0.001) and chest findings of infection on radiology resolved in 16.533.69 hours versus 23.774.56 hours between both groups (p<0.001). Mean duration of hospital admission was 3.730.57 days versus 5.070.73 days (p<0.001).Conclusion: We conclude that zinc supplementation added to standard antibiotic therapy in children with acute lower respiratory infections reduces both the resolution time for infection as well as the duration of hospital stay