Vitamin A in Children Hospitalized for Measles in a High-income Country.
Pediatr Infect Dis J
; 40(8): 723-729, 2021 08 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34250972
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Worldwide medical authorities recommend vitamin A supplementation for severe measles requiring hospitalization; however, evidence supporting its use in high-income countries is lacking. A nationwide vitamin A shortage reported in concomitance with a recent measles outbreak in Italy provided an opportunity to test the effectiveness of vitamin A in a high-income setting, approximating an unbiased allocation.METHODS:
We conducted a prospective controlled cohort study involving children admitted for measles to a tertiary-care hospital in Southern Italy. The primary outcome was the duration of fever. Secondary outcomes included the length of hospitalization, rate of complications, need for antibiotic treatment and body temperature.RESULTS:
A total of 108 inpatient children (36% female, median age 16.3 months) were enrolled; 36 received 2 doses of oil-based vitamin A according to age, and 72 matched controls received standard care. There were no significant differences between the study groups in the duration of fever (7.03 ± 2.67 vs. 6.82 ± 3.27, P = 0.72), length of hospitalization (median, 5.0 vs. 5.0 days, P = 0.50), maximum body temperature (median, 39°C in both groups, P = 0.23), rate of organ (69.4% vs. 63.9%, P = 0.72) and hematologic complications (41.7% vs. 59.7%, P = 0.12), or need for antibiotic treatment (66.7% vs. 61.1%, P = 0.72). Overall, vitamin A supplementation did not reduce the risk of any complications (relative risk, 1.33; 95% confidence intervals 0.59-2.96).CONCLUSION:
Vitamin A does not change the clinical course of measles infection or the rate of complications in children hospitalized in a high-income country. STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER EU PAS 31805.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Vitamin A
/
Child, Hospitalized
/
Fever
/
Measles
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Incidence_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
Pediatr Infect Dis J
Journal subject:
DOENCAS TRANSMISSIVEIS
/
PEDIATRIA
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article