The role of vitamin A and zinc supplementation in pediatric pneumonia: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

There is still controversy regarding the role of zinc and vitamin A supplementation in pediatric pneumonia. Therefore, we designed a systematic review and network meta-analysis to incorporate the available evidence to determine the role of vitamin A and zinc in pediatric pneumonia. METHODS: From the inception to December 31, 2022, the Web of Science, EMBASE, Medicine, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched using the key phrases “pneumonia,” “pediatric,” “zinc,” “vitamin A,” and “cohort” for all relevant studies. Cohort studies assessing the efficacy and safety of zinc and/or vitamin A supplementation in children with pneumonia will be included for quantitative or qualitative analysis. Non-cohort studies and studies that do not meet the inclusion criteria will be excluded. Outcome measures include reduction in duration of pneumonia, adverse drug events, length of hospital stay, amount of antibiotics used, and radiological parameters. The primary outcome is the degree of reduction in the duration of pneumonia. RESULTS: This Bayesian network meta-analysis will be conducted in accordance with the PRISMA extension statement, which is used to report systematic reviews that incorporated a meta-analysis of medical intervention networks.