Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of zinc and placebo treatment groups
| Zinc group (n = 48) | Placebo group (n = 46) | |
|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | Frequency (%) or Mean ± SD | Frequency (%) or Mean ± SD |
| Male | 26 (54.2) | 30 (53.6) |
| Age | ||
| 6–11 months | 19 (39.6) | 26 (56.5) |
| 12–23 months | 24 (50.0) | 18 (39.1) |
| 24–36 months | 5 (10.4) | 2 (4.4) |
| HIV-positive | 4 (8.7) | 3 (6.5) |
| Weight-for-height z score ≤2 | 10 (20.8) | 8 (17.4) |
| Height-for-age z score ≤2 | 12 (25.0) | 14 (30.4) |
| Mean hemoglobin (g/dl) | 9.3 ± 1.2 | 9.3 ± 1.8 |
| Mean pulse (beats/min) | 153 ± 18 | 141 ± 46 |
| Mean auxiliary temperature (°C) | 38.1 ± 0.7 | 38.1 ± 0.8 |
| Mean respiratory rate (breaths/min) | ||
| 6–11 months | 60.6 ± 8.4 | 56.2 ± 8.5 |
| 12–36 months | 52.8 ± 11.0 | 51.6 ± 9.5 |
| Mean arterial O2 saturation (%) | 96.0 ± 2.8 | 96.8 ± 2.2 |
| Hypoxia (arterial O2 saturation <93%) | 1 (2.1) | 1 (2.2) |
| Nasal flaring | 26 (54.2) | 34 (73.9) |
| Chest indrawing | 32 (66.7) | 39 (84.8) |
| Cyanosis | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Inability to feed | 1 (2.1) | 1 (2.2) |
| Convulsions | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Plasma zinc (µg/dl) | 72.1 ± 16.1 | 68.0 ± 31.1 |
| Plasma zinc <70 µg/dl | 24 (50.0) | 21 (45.7) |