| Methods |
Randomised block design, placebo controlled trial. Double‐blind |
| Participants |
Children between 3 months and 10 years of age with a principal diagnosis of pneumonia (confirmed by X‐ray) admitted as inpatients to the paediatrics ward. A purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test was applied at the time of admission to the paediatrics ward and was read 48 hours later. 47 in vitamin A group and 48 in placebo group |
| Interventions |
Children < 1 year received 100,000 IU (2 ml of water‐miscible preparation) of vitamin A on admission to the study and 50,000 IU (1 ml) on the second day of hospitalization. Children >= 1 year of age received 200,000 IU (4 ml) on the first day and 100,000 (2 ml) on the second day |
| Outcomes |
Clinical outcomes: temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, presence or absence of retractions, occurrence of central cyanosis, percent of blood oxygen saturation, use of supplemental oxygen
Other: food consumed, mother's impression of child's appetite |
| Notes |
Setting: Lima, Peru |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Adequate sequence generation? |
Unclear risk |
Did not mention any means of sequence generation, but block randomisation was mentioned |
| Allocation concealment? |
Unclear risk |
Did not mention any means of allocation concealment |
| Blinding?
All outcomes except mortality |
Low risk |
Double‐blinding |
| Incomplete outcome data addressed?
All outcomes except mortality |
Low risk |
In placebo group 3 participants were excluded after randomisation due to positive PPD tests, 2 participants were withdrawn from additional data collection because of complications of their infection at day 10 (placebo) and day 14 (vitamin A). One participant was withdrawn from the placebo group during the first hospital day because of medical complications |
