Effect of adjuvant zinc therapy on recovery from pneumonia.

Abstract

Objective: To study the effect of zinc supplementation as an adjuvant therapy on the outcomes of pneumonia. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Setting: Department of Pediatrics, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, Pakistan. Period: November 2024 to April 2025. Methods: A total of 50 patients (25 in each group) children, aged 2 months to 5 years, and admitted with pneumonia were randomly allocated to either Group-A (Zinc + standard treatment) or Group-B (standard treatment only). In Group-The primary outcome was recovery rate, assessed by the resolution of tachypnea, chest indrawing, hypoxemia, and fever within 48 hours. Secondary outcomes included hospitalization duration and symptom recovery time. Results: In a total of 50 children, the mean age in Group-A was 2.8±1.2 years, and in Group B, 2.9±1.3 years (p=0.582). Gender distribution was statistically similar among study groups (p=0.827. Recovery rates were significantly higher in Group-A for fever (88% vs. 64%, p=0.001), tachypnea (84% vs. 56%, p=0.005), chest indrawing (72% vs. 48%, p=0.011), and hypoxemia (76% vs. 52%, p=0.009). The median duration of hospitalization in Group-A was 4.0 days (3.0–5.0 days), significantly shorter than the 6.0 days (5.0–7.0 days) observed in Group B (p=0.003). Conclusion: Zinc supplementation significantly improved recovery rates, reduced hospitalization duration, and accelerated the resolution of clinical symptoms, providing important clinical benefits.