HYPONATREMIA INDUCED BY OXCARBAZEPINE IN CHILDREN

We report the case of a 12-year-old girl with severe clinically releva nt hyponatremia (118 mmol/l) and hypochloremia (81 mmol/l) during trea tment with oxcarbazepine (OCBZ). The adverse effects were rapidly reve rsible after discontinuation of OCBZ and did not occur when exposed to carbamazepine. We reviewed the charts of 48 patients who received OCB Z as in-patients in our epilepsy centre and found hyponatremia in nine and hypochloremia in four. The mean sodium level of all patients was 139 mmol/l (range 118-150 mmol/l). We did not see any correlation betw een sodium or chloride levels and dose of OCBZ or blood serum level of the active metabolite 10-OH-carbazepine. We emphasize that children a re at risk of developing electrolyte disturbances during treatment wit h OCBZ and thus the level of at least sodium should be monitored in th ose patients. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.