Oxcarbazepine Oral Suspension in Childhood / Rufo-Campos et al 485

channels, particularly voltage-dependent channels, thereby stabi-lizing the neuron membrane, inhibiting repeat neuronal firing, and reducing the propagation of impulses through synapses.7–10 Some studies indicate that oxcarbazepine also acts on high-voltage– activated calcium currents.11 The oral suspension form of oxcarbazepine is particularly attractive in pediatric patients because it is easy to dose and admin-ister, with a better absorption by a still immature bowel. Although no oxcarbazepine blood levels were obtained in this study, it is well known from pharmacokinetic studies that oxcarbazepine is absorbed almost entirely when given orally (96%), thereby obtaining a maximum blood concentration 1 hour after its administration and regardless of the time of food ingestion. It rapidly converts into its active metabolite, a monohydroxide deriv-ative whose maximum blood concentration is reached 4 to 6 hours after administration of the oxcarbazepine dose.12 Forty percent of the monohydroxide derivative circulates bound to plasma pro-teins and is excreted through the kidney. In conclusion, treatment with oxcarbazepine oral suspension in this series of patients was useful in simple and complex seizures and in symptomatic, idiopathic, and cryptogenic epilepsies, with few adverse events and good acceptance by parents and patients