Lategan, RonetteNel, RietteAudie, Lyndal Claire2016-11-242016-11-242016-01-30http://hdl.handle.net/11660/4798English: The aim of this research study was to determine adherence to zinc supplementation as part of the treatment guidelines for diarrhoea in infants and children at a tertiary hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Zinc supplements are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to be given to all children experiencing diarrhoea, as zinc is a proven treatment, known to reduce the severity and duration of diarrhoea. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the management of the tertiary hospital, as well as the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State. In this study the researcher gathered information from the case folders of infants and children admitted to the general medical paediatric ward (GMPW) for diarrhoea between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013. From statistics obtained from the Department of Information Technology at the hospital, it was determined that 385 infants and children under five years of age were admitted to the ward, and of these, 290 cases were included in the study. The study was a retrospective, prescription audit and all information was obtained from case folders, specifically the prescription charts and medical notes. General patient information, prescription information and medical information was collected from the case folders. Data were captured by the researcher in duplicate and compared and verified electronically. Statistical analysis was performed by the Department of Biostatistics, University of the Free State. Descriptive statistics were mainly used and medians and percentiles where calculated for continuous data, and frequencies and percentages for categorical data. This study reported poor adherence levels to treatment guidelines for zinc supplementation in children with diarrhoea at a tertiary hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The researcher recommends the need to perform training among health care professionals to increase awareness and improve implementation of zinc supplementation guidelines. Continued monitoring and surveillance were also recommended to ensure sustainability of implementation. It is also recommended that the hospital develop an institutional policy that incorporates zinc supplementation guidelines as part of the management of diarrhoea in hospitalized children.Afrikaans: Die doel van hierdie navorsingstudie was om vas te stel of daar aan die behandelingriglyne vir diarree voldoen word onder babas en jong kinders by „n tersiêre hospitaal in die Oos-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Sinksupplementasie word deur die Wêreld Gesondheidsorganisasie (WGO) en UNICEF aanbeveel vir alle kinders met diarree, aangesien sinksupplementasie bewys is as effektiewe behandeling om die ernstigheid en duur van diarree te verminder. Toestemming om hierdie studie uit te voer, is verkry vanaf die bestuur van die tersiêre hospitaal, sowel as die Etiekkomitee van die Fakulteit Gesondheidswetenskappe, Universiteit van die Vrystaat. In hierdie studie het die navorser inligting ingesamel uit die gevalsleêrs van babas en jong kinders wat tot die algemene mediese pediatriese saal met diarree opgeneem is tussen 1 Januarie 2013 en 31 Desember 2013. Uit statistiek bekom van die Departement Inligtingtegnologie by die hospitaal, is vasgestel dat 385 babas en kinders onder vyf jaar van ouderdom tot die saal toegelaat is en van hierdie is 290 gevalle by die studie ingesluit. Die studie was „n retrospektiewe voorskrifoudit. Alle data is uit gevalsleêrs bekom, veral uit die voorskrifkaarte en mediese notas. Algemene pasiëntinligting, voorskrifinligting en mediese inligting is uit die gevalsleêrs bekom. Data is deur die navorser in duplikaat versamel en elektronies vergelyk en geverifieer. Statistiese ontleding is deur die Departement Biostatistiek, Universiteit van die Vrystaat uitgevoer. Beskrywendestatistiek is hoofsaaklik gebruik en mediane en persentiele is bereken vir kontinue data en frekwensies en persentasies vir kategoriese data. Hierdie studie rapporteer swak nakoming van behandelingriglyne vir sinksupplementasie onder kinders met diarree by „n tersiêre hospitaal in die Oos-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Die studie beveel opleiding onder professionele gesondheidsorgwerkers aan om bewustheid en implementasie van sinksupplementasieriglyne te verbeter. Voordurende monitering en waarneming word ook aanbeveel om volhoubaarheid van enige vordering wat met implementering gemaak word te verseker. Daar word ook aanbeveel dat die hospitaalbeleid sinksupplementasie riglyne insluit, by behandelingsriglyne vir diarree in gehospitaliseerde kinders.enDissertation (M.Sc. Dietetics (Nutrition and Dietetics))--University of the Free State, 2016Dietary supplementsChildren -- NutritionDiarrhea in childrenDissertationUniversity of the Free State