title: Oral zinc supplementation for reducing mortality in probable neonatal sepsis: a double blind randomized placebo controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of Zinc in the treatment of neonatal sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary Care Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  614 neonates with probable neonatal sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The drug group (n=307) received 1mg/kg/day of elemental zinc, and placebo group (n=307) received the placebo, in addition to antibiotic therapy and supportive care, till the final outcome (discharge/death).
  
  
  METHODS
  Decrease in mortality rates (primary outcome), duration of hospital stay and need of higher lines of antibiotic therapy (secondary outcomes) were tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. No statistically significant differences between drug and placebo group were found in mortality rate (9.77% vs 7.81%; P=0.393), mean duration of hospital stay (142.85 ± 69.41 hrs, vs. 147.99 ± 73.13 hrs; P=0.841), and requirement of higher lines of antibiotic therapy (13.35% vs 12.05%, P=0.628) after supplementation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study does not report decrease in mortality rates, duration of hospital stay and requirement of higher lines of antibiotic therapy following zinc supplementation in neonatal sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Bhatta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Majhi
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015032:Zinc