Use and monitoring of bromides in epilepsy treatment

Bromides are no longer a mainstay of epilepsy therapy because of the signif icant toxicity associated with their use and the availability of safer agen ts. However, bromides occasionally find a niche in the treatment of patient s with refractory seizures, particularly in pediatrics, When the decision t o utilize this therapy is made, the clinician may be frustrated by the lack of concise, current information regarding bromides. This review provides a n update on the mechanism of action, efficacy, pharmacokinetics, dose, and adverse effects of bromides. (C) 1999 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights r eserved.