La Qui Phu, Le Son Hoang, Nguyen Phuong Minh, Tran Ly Cong
Department of Pediatrics, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho City, VNM.
Cureus. 2024 Jul 30;16(7):e65771. doi: 10.7759/cureus.65771. eCollection 2024 Jul.
Background Pneumonia is a critical global health concern that often results in severe complications and fatalities, especially among young children. Zinc plays a crucial role in immune function and maintaining respiratory epithelial integrity. Despite its importance, data on the prevalence of zinc deficiency and its impact on pneumonia severity in Vietnamese children are limited. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of zinc deficiency and its association with pneumonia severity in Vietnamese children under five years old. The findings could significantly contribute to our understanding of the role of zinc in pneumonia severity, guiding future public health interventions, nutritional policies, and clinical practices to prevent zinc deficiency and reduce pneumonia morbidity and mortality in children. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at a major pediatric center in Southwestern Vietnam from December 2022 to February 2024, involving 222 children aged 2 to 59 months diagnosed with pneumonia. Clinical assessments and laboratory measurements, including serum zinc levels, were performed. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes between zinc-deficient and non-deficient groups. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between zinc deficiency and pneumonia severity, with statistical significance set at p<0.05. Results The prevalence of zinc deficiency among children with pneumonia was 74.3%. Zinc-deficient children showed a significantly higher proportion of severe pneumonia (57.6% vs. 8.8%, p<0.001), as well as a higher proportion of high fever, poor feeding, vomiting, and respiratory distress compared to non-deficient children (p<0.001). Multivariable logistic regression identified zinc deficiency as an independent predictor of severe pneumonia (aOR=13.1, 95% CI: 4.7-36.8, p<0.001). Conclusion Zinc deficiency was prevalent among Vietnamese children with pneumonia and was associated with an increased risk of severe pneumonia.
肺炎是一个严重的全球健康问题，常常导致严重并发症和死亡，尤其是在幼儿中。锌在免疫功能和维持呼吸道上皮完整性方面发挥着关键作用。尽管其重要性，但关于越南儿童锌缺乏症的患病率及其对肺炎严重程度的影响的数据有限。
本研究旨在调查越南五岁以下儿童锌缺乏症的患病率及其与肺炎严重程度的关联。这些发现可能会极大地有助于我们理解锌在肺炎严重程度中的作用，为未来预防锌缺乏以及降低儿童肺炎发病率和死亡率的公共卫生干预措施、营养政策和临床实践提供指导。
2022年12月至2024年2月在越南西南部一家主要的儿科中心进行了一项分析性横断面研究，纳入了222名年龄在2至59个月被诊断为肺炎的儿童。进行了临床评估和实验室检测，包括血清锌水平检测。进行统计分析以比较锌缺乏组和非锌缺乏组的临床特征和结果。使用多变量逻辑回归评估锌缺乏与肺炎严重程度之间的关联，设定p<0.05为具有统计学意义。
肺炎患儿中锌缺乏症的患病率为74.3%。与非锌缺乏儿童相比，锌缺乏儿童中重症肺炎的比例显著更高（57.6%对8.8%，p<0.001），并且高热、喂养困难、呕吐和呼吸窘迫的比例也更高（p<0.001）。多变量逻辑回归确定锌缺乏是重症肺炎的独立预测因素（调整后的比值比=13.1，95%置信区间：4.7-36.8，p<0.001）。
锌缺乏在越南肺炎患儿中普遍存在，并且与重症肺炎风险增加相关。
