The objective of the study was to prove lower frequency of occurrence and lower seriousness of diseases in long-term usage of the preparation. The total of 465 children aged 3 to 12 were included in the study. Inclusion in the study was carried out from August 2004 till July 2005. Each participant of the study was instructed to use 1 tablet a day for two years and kept coming every 6 months for a check-up to his/her paediatrician where all diseases were continuously monitored as well as their duration with the special emphasis on the main groups of diseases: ORL, respiratory and skin. Seriousness of diseases is characterized by four parameters: whether the child is at home or goes to school or kindergarten, presence of fever, using antibiotics and hospital treatment. The data about the frequency of diseases of each child for the past 24 months before the start of use of Marťánci are used for reference.
Results
After two-year monitoring, results in 465 children were processed. The total of 25 children terminated their participation in the study preliminary. The most frequent reason was change of the place of residence. The total of 440 (94.6%) children were included in the final processing of results.
The average age of children in the study was 6.13, the youngest one was 3 and the oldest one was 12. There were slightly more girls than boys (see Fig. 2).
Individual diseases before start of and during the study were divided according to the diagnose code into the main groups. The most frequent groups included acute pharyngitis, acute tonsillitis and acute rhinopharyngitis.
The average number of diseases of each child (see Figure 2) and the duration of the disease (see Figure 3) during yearly use of Marťánci dropped significantly. Before the study, the average number of diseases per 2 years was 9.6; after two years of use of Marťánci it dropped to 7.2. The average duration of all diseases per one child was 78.3 days in two years; after two-year use, the total time dropped to 56.5 days. Based on the results of the monitoring we can claim that children were ill by 21.8 days less during the two years of use than in the two-year time before using Marťánci.
Figure 1: Average age of children and their sex
Figure 2: The average number of diseases in 2 years
Figure 3: Duration of diseases for 2 years
During the two-year use of Marťánci there was significant statistical decrease of the number of diseases with higher temperature, the number of diseases with antibiotics and the number of diseases requiring stay at home. Only in the number of hospital treatments there was no statistically significant difference (see Figure 4).
Figure 4: Seriousness of disease
Conclusion
Using the Marťánci preparation for two years significantly reduces the number of diseases, the duration of diseases and individual parameters of seriousness of diseases in children aged 3-12. With regards to arrangement of the study, the results can be influenced by absence of the control group that could not be ensured for ethical reasons.
prof. MUDr. Hana Hrstková, DrSc.