Vitamin A and zinc supplementation of preschool children

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether supplementation of vitamin A and/or zinc (Zn) improved serum levels of these nutrients and/or height and weight gains in preschool children, 22 to 66 months, living in Belize, Central America. METHODS: Subjects received either Zn, vitamin A, Zn and vitamin A or a placebo (70 mg Zn and/or 3030 RE vitamin A, once per week) for 6 months in a 2x2 factorial design. Forty-three children, from a population of 104 prescreened, completed the study; they were selected, prior to treatment, for low/marginal serum concentrations of these micronutrients. RESULTS: Serum Zn levels were greater (16 percent, p < 0.001) for those who received Zn. In contrast, after vitamin A treatment, there were no differences in serum vitamin A among groups. Although increases in height (+4.4 cm, p<0.001) and weight (+0.79 kg, p<0.001), compared with baseline values, were numerically greatest for children who received both supplements, only the vitamin A supplementation effect was significant, resulting in increased height (+1.4 cm, p<0.002) and greater weight gain (+0.15 kg, p<0.03) compared to those receiving no vitamin A. Vitamin A supplementation alone significantly increased (p<0.001) hemoglobin concentration. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the preschool children in this study, prescreened for low/marginal serum concentrations from a larger population prior to treatment, were enduring inadequate vitamin A and, to a lesser degree, Zn nutriture. Height and weight gain were significantly increased in the subjects who received a single weekly supplement 3030 RE of vitamin A.(Au)

In-vitro sensitivity of organisms causing urinary tract infections to four common oral antibiotics and to pivmecillinam

The in-vitro sensitivity to ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, nitrofuratoin, nalidixic acid and mecillinam was determined for 511 organisms isolated from 399 consecutive urine specimens. Urine specimens were divided into those of hospital in-patient origin (group B). Group B organisms were more sensitive than group A organisms. Over 75 percent of all group B organisms were sensitive to nitrofurantoin, nalidixic acid and mecillinam. Organisms resistant to multiple antibiotics were more frequently isolated from group A catheterized patients and are now less frequently isolated than in 1983. The antibiotic implications of these findings are discussed (AU)