title: The prophylactic effects of gabapentin on postoperative sore throat after thyroid surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postoperative sore throat (POST) is considered a usual complication after tracheal intubation, especially, thyroid surgery. Gabapentin is a widely studied multimodal perioperative drug, which can be used to treat acute postoperative pain. The primary endpoints of this study was a reduction of the incidence of POST at rest and during the swallowing movements after thyroid surgery. And the second endpoints was a reduction of the intensity of the POST after thyroid surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one patients that underwent elective thyroid surgery received either gabapentin (Neurontin™ 600 mg) or placebo, orally, one hour before anesthesia. The VAS scores and incidences of POST and adverse effects were determined at 1 hr, 6 hr, 12 hr, and 24 hr after surgery at rest and during swallowing movement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The gabapentin group (N = 36) showed a lower incidence of POST than the placebo group (N = 35) (47% vs. 78%, P = 0.038), and had significant lower VAS score at 6 and 24 hours after surgery in the resting state. However, during the movement, no intergroup differences were found in terms of the incidence of POST (83% vs. 91%, P = 0.305) or VAS score. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between the two groups, in adverse effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gabapentin (Neurontin™ 600 mg) administered 1 hr before anesthesia reduced the intensity and incidence of POST during the resting state without a significant adverse event, during the 24 hr after thyroid surgery. However, gabapentin did not reduce the intensity and incidence of POST during the swallowing movement.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Korea.
authors: Jae Ho
authors: JH
authors: Lee
authors: Hyun Kyu
authors: HK
authors: Lee
authors: Na Hyung
authors: NH
authors: Chun
authors: Yoon
authors: Y
authors: So
authors: Chi Young
authors: CY
authors: Lim
keywords: Gabapentin; Postoperative pharyngitis; Thyroid cancer