title: Oxcarbazepine therapy in very young children: a single-center clinical experience.
abstract: Oxcarbazepine is indicated for use as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in adults and children >or=4 years of age. The purpose of this retrospective chart review was to assess efficacy and tolerability of oxcarbazepine in children <or=4 years of age. A single-center retrospective chart review of patients <or=4 years old with epilepsy receiving oxcarbazepine between 2001 to 2004 was conducted. Twenty patients (male = 13, female = 7; ages 6-45 months [mean age 22.8 months]) who received oxcarbazepine were identified. Seizure types included partial onset (75%), symptomatic generalized (15%), and other (n = 2, 10%). Oxcarbazepine doses ranged between 14-71 mg/kg/day (mean dose: 36.5 mg/kg/day). Oxcarbazepine was prescribed as monotherapy in 15 patients and as first-line therapy in 73% patients. Overall, 70% experienced a significant reduction in seizures, and 50% became seizure-free while receiving oxcarbazepine. Transient drowsiness was reported in 20% of patients during dose escalation. No adverse events were observed in children <2 years old. The findings from this small series suggest that oxcarbazepine as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy may be effective and well tolerated in pediatric patients <or=4 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19134-1095, USA. Sanjeev.kothare@drexelmed.edu
authors.forename: Sanjeev V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kothare
authors.forename: Navid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mostofi
authors.forename: Divya S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Khurana
authors.forename: Bashar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mohsem
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Melvin
authors.forename: Huntley H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hardison
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.forename: Agustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Legido
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine