Therapeutic role of zinc; evaluation in patients with diarrheal illnesses

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation in patients with diarrheal illnesses. Quasi Experimental study. The study was conducted at the pediatrics department of Madina Teaching Hospital, Sargodha road, Faisalabad, 6 months period from November 2008 to April 2009. Two hundred children suffering from diarrhea with mild to moderate dehydration were included in the study and divided into two groups, A and B. Group A was given zinc supplementation along with ORS and adequate nutrition according to age. In group B 100 children were taken as control to whom only ORS and adequate nutrition for age was given. Baseline clinical parameters were comparable in both groups at admission. The effect observed on stool consistency was more marked in 72 hours i.e. 71% patients were improved in group A versus 40% in group B, as compared to stool frequency in 72 hours i.e. 56% in group A versus 39% in group B. Although in 7 days, 99% patients showed improvement in stool consistency in group A, 70% in group B [p value 0.037] and stool frequency showed improvement of 96% in group A as compared to 77% in group B [p value 0.037]. Duration of hospital stay on the average was about 2 days less in case of zinc supplemented group as compared to control group. Zinc supplementation reduced the duration and severity of mild to moderate diarrheal illness and treatment was well tolerated with no significant side effects