Therapeutic Zinc in Childhood Pneumonia

Summary

The aim of this study is to assess whether zinc given as adjuvant therapy to standard antibiotic treatment in children hospitalized for severe pneumonia reduces the duration of the severe illness and risk of treatment failure. A randomized double blind placebo controlled clinical trial will be conducted at the Kanti Hospital.

Timeline

Start

2006-01

Primary completion

2008-07

Completion

2008-07

Publications

• Background Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, 2001
• Background Nepal Ministry of Health, Department of Health Services Annual Report 2000- 2001, Kathmandu
• Background Shankar AH, Prasad AS. Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Aug;68(2 Suppl):447S-463S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/68.2.447S.
• Background Bahl R, Bhandari N, Hambidge KM, Bhan MK. Plasma zinc as a predictor of diarrheal and respiratory morbidity in children in an urban slum setting. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Aug;68(2 Suppl):414S-417S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/68.2.414S.
• Background Bhutta ZA, Black RE, Brown KH, Gardner JM, Gore S, Hidayat A, Khatun F, Martorell R, Ninh NX, Penny ME, Rosado JL, Roy SK, Ruel M, Sazawal S, Shankar A. Prevention of diarrhea and pneumonia by zinc supplementation in children in developing countries: pooled analysis of randomized controlled trials. Zinc Investigators' Collaborative Group. J Pediatr. 1999 Dec;135(6):689-97. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(99)70086-7.
• Background Bhandari N, Bahl R, Taneja S, Strand T, Molbak K, Ulvik RJ, Sommerfelt H, Bhan MK. Substantial reduction in severe diarrheal morbidity by daily zinc supplementation in young north Indian children. Pediatrics. 2002 Jun;109(6):e86. doi: 10.1542/peds.109.6.e86.
• Background Brown KH. Effect of infections on plasma zinc concentration and implications for zinc status assessment in low-income countries. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Aug;68(2 Suppl):425S-429S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/68.2.425S.
• Background Beisel WR. Zinc metabolism in infection. In: Brewer GJ, Prasad AS, eds. Zinc metabolism: current aspects in health and disease. New York: Alan R Liss, 1977: 973-977
• Background Cousins RJ, Leinart AS. Tissue-specific regulation of zinc metabolism and metallothionein genes by interleukin 1. FASEB J. 1988 Oct;2(13):2884-90. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.2.13.2458983.
• Background Strand TA, Hollingshead SK, Julshamn K, Briles DE, Blomberg B, Sommerfelt H. Effects of zinc deficiency and pneumococcal surface protein a immunization on zinc status and the risk of severe infection in mice. Infect Immun. 2003 Apr;71(4):2009-13. doi: 10.1128/IAI.71.4.2009-2013.2003.
• Background Bhutta ZA, Bird SM, Black RE, Brown KH, Gardner JM, Hidayat A, Khatun F, Martorell R, Ninh NX, Penny ME, Rosado JL, Roy SK, Ruel M, Sazawal S, Shankar A. Therapeutic effects of oral zinc in acute and persistent diarrhea in children in developing countries: pooled analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Dec;72(6):1516-22. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/72.6.1516.
• Background Strand TA, Chandyo RK, Bahl R, Sharma PR, Adhikari RK, Bhandari N, Ulvik RJ, Molbak K, Bhan MK, Sommerfelt H. Effectiveness and efficacy of zinc for the treatment of acute diarrhea in young children. Pediatrics. 2002 May;109(5):898-903. doi: 10.1542/peds.109.5.898.
• Background Brooks WA, Yunus M, Santosham M, Wahed MA, Nahar K, Yeasmin S, Black RE. Zinc for severe pneumonia in very young children: double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2004 May 22;363(9422):1683-8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)16252-1.
• Haugen J, Basnet S, Hardang IM, Sharma A, Mathisen M, Shrestha P, Valentiner-Branth P, Strand TA. Vitamin D status is associated with treatment failure and duration of illness in Nepalese children with severe pneumonia. Pediatr Res. 2017 Dec;82(6):986-993. doi: 10.1038/pr.2017.71. Epub 2017 Aug 16.
• Basnet S, Shrestha PS, Sharma A, Mathisen M, Prasai R, Bhandari N, Adhikari RK, Sommerfelt H, Valentiner-Branth P, Strand TA; Zinc Severe Pneumonia Study Group. A randomized controlled trial of zinc as adjuvant therapy for severe pneumonia in young children. Pediatrics. 2012 Apr;129(4):701-8. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-3091. Epub 2012 Mar 5.

Drugs

Indications