Efficacy of oral sodium chloride in reducing the incidence of hyponatremia in children with epilepsy receiving oxcarbazepine monotherapy: A randomized controlled trial (SCHO Trial)

Introduction

Hyponatremia is a well-documented adverse effect of oxcarbazepine treatment, but no clinical trial has yet been conducted to explore any intervention for reducing the incidence of hyponatremia.

Materials and Methods

This open-label trial evaluated the efficacy of add-on daily oral sodium chloride supplementation of 1–2 g/day for 12 weeks in reducing the incidence of hyponatremia in children receiving oxcarbazepine monotherapy aged 1–18 years. Apart from comparing the incidence of symptomatic and severe hyponatremia, serum and urine sodium levels, serum and urine osmolality, changes in behavior and cognition, and the number of participants with recurrence of seizures and requiring additional antiseizure medication (ASM) were also compared.

Results

A total of 120 children (60 in each group) were enrolled. The serum sodium level at 12 weeks in the intervention group was higher than that of the control group (136.5 ± 2.6 vs 135.4 ± 2.5 mEq/L, p = 0.01). The number of patients with hyponatremia was significantly lower in the intervention group (4/60vs14/60, p = 0.01). However, the incidence of symptomatic and severe hyponatremia (0/60vs1/60, p = 0.67 for both), changes in social quotient and child behavior checklist total score (0.6 ± 0.8 vs 0.7 ± 0.5, p = 0.41 and 0.9 ± 1.2 vs 1.1 ± 0.9, p = 0.30 respectively), the number of patients with breakthrough seizures (9/60vs10/60, p = 0.89), and the number of patients requiring additional ASMs (8/60vs10/60, p = 0.79) were comparable in both groups.

Conclusions

Daily oral sodium chloride supplementation is safe and efficacious in reducing the incidence of hyponatremia in children with epilepsy receiving oxcarbazepine monotherapy. However, sodium chloride supplementation does not significantly reduce more clinically meaningful outcome measures like symptomatic and severe hyponatremia.

Trial registry No. CTRI/2021/12/038388.