Study of the effect of oral gabapentin used as preemptive analgesia to attenuate post-operative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgery under general anesthesia

• Main Authors: Parikh Harshel, Dash Sananta, Upasani Chitra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2010-01-01
• Series: Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia
• Subjects: <i>Abdominal surgery; gabapentin; pre-emptive analgesia; post-operative pain</i>
• Online Access: http://www.saudija.org/article.asp?issn=1658-354X;year=2010;volume=4;issue=3;spage=137;epage=141;aulast=Parikh

<b>Aims:</b> To study the effect of oral gabapentin used as preemptive analgesia to attenuate post operative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> In a randomized double blind study, 60 patients were divided into two groups. Group A received 600mg gabapentin and group B oral received placebo 1 h prior to surgery. Anesthesia was induced with Propofol 2 mg/kg and Vecuronium 0.1mg/kg and maintained with 60&#x0025; N ₂ O in O ₂ and Vecuronium 0.02 mg/kg. All cases were given Fentanyl 2&#956;g/kg as pre-medication and a repeat dose 1&#956;g/kg at the end of the first hour. Assessment of post-operative pain was made with the visual analog score (VAS) at extubation (0 h), 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h post-operatively. Post-operative analgesia was provided with intravenous Tramadol. The first dose was given in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit as 2mg/kg, and repeated at 8 and 16 h. Rescue analgesia was given with Diclofenac 1.5mg/kg, slow intravenous. The number of doses of rescue analgesia in both the groups was noted. <b>Results:</b> The VAS scores at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h were 1.9 <i>vs.</i> 2.4 (<i>P</i>=0.002), 2.3 <i>vs.</i> 3.0 (<i>P</i>=0.000), 3.2 <i>vs.</i> 3.7 (<i>P</i>=0.006), 2.9 <i>vs</i>. 4.4 (<i>P</i>=0.000), 3.6 <i>vs.</i> 4.6 (<i>P</i>=0.000), and 3.7 <i>vs.</i>4.6 (<i>P</i>=0.000), respectively. Numbers of patients requiring rescue analgesia with Diclofenac were 3 <i>vs.</i> 14 (<i>P</i>=0.004). <b>Conclusion:</b> A single oral dose of gabapentin given pre-operatively enhanced the analgesic effect of Tramadol as it also reduced the requirement of rescue analgesia with Diclofenac.