Short Report: Prescription and Administration of a 14-day Regimen of Zinc Treatment for Childhood Diarrhea in Mali

By Peter J. Winch, Kate E. Gilroy, Seydou Doumbia, Amy E. Patterson, Zana Daou, Seyon Coulibaly, Eric Swedberg, Robert E. Black, and Olivier Fontaine

Contributed By POUZN Project

Published: 2009

We evaluated prescription and correct dosing of a 14-day course of dispersible zinc tablets prescribed to young children with diarrhea by community and facility workers in rural, southern Mali, West Africa. One hundred twenty-three children were followed at home on days 3 and 14 after being prescribed zinc. The age-appropriate dose of zinc was dispensed in 94% of cases. Ninety-five percent of mothers dissolved the tablet in a small amount of water and gave it with a spoon. Only eight caretakers reported problems with zinc administration: either vomiting or refusal to take the tablets. Sixty-four percent of children received the full 14-day course of treatment, and more than 89% of children were given at least a 10-day course of zinc treatment. The levels of correct administration were very good but might be lower under non-research conditions.

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