Role of oral gabapentin as preemptive adjuvant with spinal anesthesia for postoperative pain in patients undergoing surgeries under spinal anesthesia

Abstract

Background and Aims: The study was undertaken to evaluate postoperative benefit in patients administered tablet gabapentin as premedication with the primary outcome determining the effect on duration of analgesia with total analgesic requirement and measurement of postoperative sedation scores as our secondary outcomes. Methods: The study was a prospective randomized observational study in sixty patients undergoing surgeries in spinal anesthesia (SA). Patients were randomly assigned into two groups. Group A (n = 30) patients received tablet gabapentin (600 mg) while Group B (n = 30) received a placebo (Vitamin B complex) orally 2 h before surgery. Postoperative pain was managed with intravenous tramadol 2 mg/kg. Postoperative monitoring and assessment included pain assessment every 2 h with Numeric Rating Scale (0–10) for 12 h and then at 24 h. Results: On comparison of intergroup data, the duration of analgesia was prolonged in Group A (288.79 ± 38.81 min) as compared to Group B (218.67 ± 37.62 min) with P (0.0001). Total opioid requirement was higher in placebo group as compared to the Group A (P = 0.025). Statistical difference in mean (standard deviation) pain score at 24 h was statistically significant (P = 0.0002). Sedation scores were significantly higher in Group A at 2 and 4 h post-SA. Conclusion: Single dose of gabapentin administered 2 h before surgery provides better pain control as compared to placebo. It prolongs the duration of analgesia, reduces the total analgesic requirement during the postoperative period.

Keywords

• Analgesia
• anesthesia
• gabapentin
• pain measurement
• spinal