The Content Variation And Its Clinical Significance Of Serum Zinc In Infants With Acute Respiratory Infection

【Objective】To investigate the content variation of serum zinc and the incidence ofzinc deficiency in infants with acute respiratory infection, improving their zinc statusand the prevention level of respiratory tract infection.【Methods】The final study cases of447infants diagnosed with acute respiratoryinfection in department of pediatrics, The first Affiliated Hospital of Fujian MedicalUniversity from November2009to October2012, and348infants with healthphysical examination in outpatient service in the same period, the age of all infants isnot more than3years old. Then2ml fasting venous blood was collected at earlymorning and serum was seperated by centrifugation. Using colorimetric method tomeasure serum zinc levels. All data were statistically analysed using SPSS version13.0. A P value of <0.05was considered statistically significant.【Results】The level of serum zinc(x|±S，μmol/L) was (19.51±4.67) μmol/L,(16.04±5.27) μmol/L,(16.71±5.46) μmol/L,(15.33±5.52) μmol/L in control group,acute upper respiratory infection, acute bronchitis, acute bronchial pneumonia,respectively, and the incidence of zinc deficiency was0.57%,5.88%,10.95%,15.98%,respectively. The level of serum zinc in acute upper respiratory infection, acutebronchitis, acute bronchial pneumonia was significantly less than control group, theincidence of zinc deficiency was significantly more than control group, and thedifference was statistically significant. In197hospitalized infants, there are44infantsoccurred diarrhoea during the stay in hospital,153infants not, and the level of serumzinc(x|±S，μmol/L) was (15.47±4.98) μmol/L and (14.94±6.34) μmol/L, respectively,and the incidence of zinc deficiency was13.6%and19.0%, respectively. Thedifference was not statistically significant(t=-0.51, P=0.610; χ~2=0.66, P=0.507).【Conclusions】Compared with control group, the level of serum zinc of infants withacute respiratory infection was significantly less, the incidence of zinc deficiency wassignificantly more. We can measure serum zinc routinely in children with respiratory infection, guiding the reasonable zinc supplementation, and improving their zincstatus and the prevention level of respiratory tract infection.