A 1-year-old child with acute diarrhea is prescribed zinc supplementation along with ORS. According to WHO recommendations, what is the correct daily dose and duration of zinc therapy for this child?

1. A

   10 mg once daily for 7 days

2. B

   20 mg twice daily for 10 days

3. C

   10 mg once daily for 14 days

4. D

   20 mg once daily for 14 days

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2015

Explanation

• The World Health Organization (WHO) provides specific guidelines for zinc supplementation based on age to manage acute diarrhea in children.
• For children aged 6 months to 5 years, the recommended dose is 20 mg of elemental zinc once daily.
• The recommended duration for this therapy is 10 to 14 days to reduce the current episode's severity and prevent future occurrences.
• Since the child in the scenario is 1 year old, they fall into this age category, making 20 mg daily for 14 days the correct regimen.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: This option provides an incorrect dose (10 mg) and an insufficient duration (7 days) for a 1-year-old child.
• Option B: This option suggests an incorrect frequency (twice daily), leading to a total daily dose of 40 mg, which is double the recommended amount.
• Option C: This dose (10 mg) is recommended for infants younger than 6 months of age, not for a 1-year-old child.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to WHO guidelines for zinc supplementation in pediatric diarrhea to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
• Zinc supplementation is a critical, evidence-based intervention that reduces the duration and severity of diarrheal episodes and also prevents future episodes for 2-3 months.
• Nurses play a key role in educating caregivers about the importance of completing the full 10-14 day course of zinc, even if the diarrhea stops earlier, to ensure full therapeutic and preventive benefits.
• This intervention is a cornerstone of the Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) strategy to reduce child mortality.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify the key clinical parameters in the question: the patient's age (1 year old) and the condition (acute diarrhea).
• Next, recall the specific WHO guidelines for zinc supplementation in pediatric diarrhea.
• The guidelines are stratified by age. Differentiate between the recommendations for infants under 6 months and children 6 months or older.
• Apply the guideline for the correct age group. A 1-year-old child falls into the '6 months to 5 years' category.
• Compare the correct dose (20 mg) and duration (10-14 days) with the given options to find the exact match.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: WHO guidelines for zinc supplementation in pediatric diarrhea.
• Stem keywords: 1-year-old child, acute diarrhea, zinc supplementation, ORS, WHO recommendations, daily dose, duration
• Lead-in keywords: what is the correct
• Clinical cues: Patient age of 1 year is the key determinant for dosage.

Question ID

Q_bOhYMZf7mwXEOlKN5LPk

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Pharmacology KD Tripathi Essentials 9e Part 3 p. 8-10

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 1791-1793