Eficacia y seguridad del zing agregado al tratamiento estandar de neumonías en niños ingresados al Hospital Vicente Corral, 2013. Estudio aleatorizado controlado, cuádruple ciego

Abstract

Objective: Establish the efficacy and safety of oral zinc incorporating standard treatment pneumonia. Methodology: Quad-blind randomized controlled trial in 116 patients aged 1 month to 10 years, admitted to Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital, in the city of Cuenca (2013). Participants who met the selection criteria were assigned to experimental or control group according to the randomization list randomly. To determine the efficacy and safety of treatment, the length of hospital stay was compared, the time resolution of clinical signs and symptoms as well as adverse effects found between the two groups. In all cases, p-values were obtained to determine whether there were significant differences, dichotomous variables were compared using chi square and continuous quantitative using Student t test.

Results: The days of hospitalization was slightly lower in the group receiving zinc, 79.4 vs 90.2 hours (p = 0.102), although this difference was not significant, the duration of tachypnea: 31.7 -experimental group- vs 33 hours -control group- (p = 0.808), decreased intercostal retraction: 18.5 -experimental group- vs 20.1 hours -control group- (p = 0.73), duration of oxygen requirements: 46.2 –experimental group- vs 42.2 hours -control group- (p = 0.569), duration of fever: 18.1 -experimental group- vs 16.6 hours -control group- (p = 0.692).

Conclusion: Failed to demonstrate the efficacy of zinc as an adjunct in the treatment of pneumonia in hospitalized pediatric patients. The use of zinc appears safe for potential adverse reactions.

Key words: children, pneumonia, zinc.