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Vitamin D Status and Severity of Pneumonia in Ecuadorian Children
Author(s) -
Mokhtar Rana,
Holick Michael,
Sempértegui Fernando,
Griffiths Jeffrey,
Estrella Bertha,
Moore Lynn,
Hamer Davidson
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.757.2
Subject(s) - tachypnea , medicine , pneumonia , hypoxemia , placebo , vitamin , randomized controlled trial , pediatrics , gastroenterology , pathology , alternative medicine , tachycardia
Background Adequate vitamin D status may play a role in preventing acute lower respiratory infections. Objective: To determine if vitamin D status is associated with a reduced time to recovery from severe pneumonia in Ecuadorian children. Design: We conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, the Ecuadorian Pneumonia and Zinc study; Children, aged 2‐59 months, hospitalized for severe pneumonia were randomized to receive 20 mg zinc or placebo in addition to standard treatment. Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured at baseline. The definition of severe pneumonia included the presence of chest wall indrawing, tachypnea (>50 breaths/min in children 2‐12 mo, >40 breaths/min in children >12 mo), and hypoxemia (SpO 2 , <90%). Vitamin D deficiency is defined as serum 25(OH)D levels 蠄20 ng/mL. Results: 352 children, with severe pneumonia, had 25(OH)D concentrations measured. Of these, 170 (48%) were vitamin D deficient. The mean time to remission of three respiratory signs in the vitamin D deficient group was not different than those who were sufficient (mean±S.E.: Deficient: 90.3 hr ± 5.8, Sufficient 99.0 hr ± 5.8, p=0.29). Similarly, time to resolution of the individual signs of chest wall indrawing, tachypnea, and hypoxemia did not differ between groups (p=0.29, p=0.75, p=0.26, respectively). Conclusions These findings indicate that vitamin D status does not have an affect on reducing the time to pneumonia resolution.