Preemptive gabapentin decreases postoperative pain after lumbar discoidectomy.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether the preemptive use of gabapentin, a structural analogue of gamma amino butyric acid could reduce postoperative pain and fentanyl consumption in patients after single-level lumbar discoidectomy.


METHODS
Fifty-six ASA I and II patients were randomly allocated into two equal groups to receive either gabapentin 300 mg or placebo two hours before surgery. After surgery, the pain was assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS) at intervals of 0-6, 6-12, 12-18, and 18-24 hr at rest. Total fentanyl consumption in the first 24 hr after surgery was also recorded. Fentanyl 2 mug.kg(-1) intravenously was used to treat postoperative pain on patients' demand.


RESULTS
Patients in the gabapentin group had significantly lower VAS scores at all time intervals of 0-6, 6-12, 12-18, and 18-24 hr than those in the placebo group (3.5 +/- 2.3, 3.2 +/- 2.1, 1.8 +/- 1.7, 1.2 +/- 1.3 vs 6.1 +/- 1.7, 4.4 +/- 1.2, 3.3 +/- 1.1, 2.1 +/- 1.2; P < 0.05). The total fentanyl consumed after surgery in the first 24 hr in the gabapentin group (233.5 +/- 141.9, mean + SD) was significantly less than in the placebo group (359.6 +/- 104.1; P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Preemptive gabapentin 300 mg po significantly decreases the severity of pain postoperatively in patients who undergo single-level lumbar discoidectomy.
Pandey
Chandra Kant
CK
Department of Anaesthesiology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226014, India. ckpandey@sgpgi.ac.in
Sahay
Surabhi
S
Gupta
Devendra
D
Ambesh
Sushil Prakash
SP
Singh
Ram Badan
RB
Raza
Mehdi
M
Singh
Uttam
U
Singh
Prabhat Kumar
PK
D000328:Adult; D000588:Amines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000588:Amines; D000700:Analgesics; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin; D005283:Fentanyl