title: Prescription and administration of a 14-day regimen of zinc treatment for childhood diarrhea in Mali.
abstract: We evaluated prescription and correct dosing of a 14-day course of dispersible zinc tablets prescribed to young children with diarrhea by community and facility workers in rural, southern Mali, West Africa. One hundred twenty-three children were followed at home on days 3 and 14 after being prescribed zinc. The age-appropriate dose of zinc was dispensed in 94% of cases. Ninety-five percent of mothers dissolved the tablet in a small amount of water and gave it with a spoon. Only eight caretakers reported problems with zinc administration: either vomiting or refusal to take the tablets. Sixty-four percent of children received the full 14-day course of treatment, and more than 89% of children were given at least a 10-day course of zinc treatment. The levels of correct administration were very good but might be lower under non-research conditions.
authors: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205-2103, USA. pwinch@jhsph.edu
authors: Peter J
authors: PJ
authors: Winch
authors: Kate E
authors: KE
authors: Gilroy
authors: Seydou
authors: S
authors: Doumbia
authors: Amy E
authors: AE
authors: Patterson
authors: Zana
authors: Z
authors: Daou
authors: Seyon
authors: S
authors: Coulibaly
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Swedberg
authors: Robert E
authors: RE
authors: Black
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Fontaine