Vitamin D and Pneumonia;

Abstract

… Background: Pneumonia is lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and represents inflammatory conditions of the lungs i.e of the lower respiratory tracts, air sacs and lung parenchyma. 1 Objectives: To determine the role of vitamin D supplementation in reducing morbidity in children with pneumonia. Study Design: Randomized Controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Pediatric Department, Mayo Hospital Lahore from December 2014 to May 2015. Patient & Methods: Two hundred children of age 2-59 months with pneumonia (fever, cough, tachypnea, and subcostal recessions) and low vitamin D level (< 20 ng/ml) were included in the study. One Hundred pneumonia patients received antibiotics (group A) and vitamins D (100,000 IU) while another group of hundred patients received only antibiotics without vitamin supplementation (group B). When respiratory distress settled, length of stay in hospital was calculated at the time of discharged. All patients were followed in pediatric OPDs for 3 months after in-hospital treatment to pick recurrence of pneumonia symptoms (if any). Results: The mean recovery time for vitamin D group (5.7 +2.8 days) and non-vitamin D (6.1+2.8 days) was almost same with P=0.29. But the frequency of repeated episodes of pneumonia within 30 days of treatment was lower in intervention group n=4 (2%) than the non-intervention group n=18 (9%) (P = 0.002). Conclusion: 100,000 IU of vitamin D given once during treatment of pneumonia decreases the chances of recurrence in the next 30 days.