title: Effects of 2 different doses of pregabalin on morphine consumption and pain after abdominal hysterectomy: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregabalin has a similar pharmacologic profile to that of its developmental predecessor gabapentin but has shown greater analgesic activity in rodent models of neuropathic pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to compare the effects of 2 different doses of pregabalin and placebo on postoperative pain and morphine consumption.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety patients who underwent abdominal hysterectomy were included in the study and randomly divided into 3 groups in a doubled-blinded manner. They were given 150 mg of pregabalin (group P300, n = 30), 300 mg of pregabalin (group P600, n = 30), or placebo capsules (group C, n = 30) 4 hours before the induction of anesthesia; they received a second dose of the drug 12 hours postoperatively. Morphine consumption, nausea, and vomiting, visual analogue scale-pain intensity (VAS-PI), sedation scores, and dissatisfaction scores were recorded in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and at 2, 4, 6, and 24 hours after operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Morphine consumption at 24 hours was 40.80 (3.42) mg, 33.79 (5.77) mg, and 46.97 (6.67) mg in groups P300, P600, and C, respectively (P < 0.001). VAS-PI scores at movement and at rest in the PACU and at 2, 4, and 6 hours decreased in group P600 (P < 0.01). In the PACU and at 2, 4, and 6 hours, the sedation scores were increased in group P600 compared with the scores in group C (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.01, P = 0.006, respectively). Patient satisfaction was higher in group P600 than in group C for all time points (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness (P = 0.58).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pregabalin at a total dose of 600 mg, administered before operation and at 12 hours postoperatively after abdominal hysterectomy, reduced morphine consumption and pain intensity and increased patient satisfaction. No significant differences in side effects were observed between the study groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Inonu University, Medical School, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aytaç
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yücel
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Bezmiâlem Vakif University, Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdoğan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Malatya Government Hospital, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: M Said
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Aydoğan
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Inonu University, Medical School, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Durmuş
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Inonu University, Medical School, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cemil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colak
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Inonu University, Medical School, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: M Özcan
authors.initials: MÖ
authors.lastname: Ersoy
keywords: morphine consumption; pain; postoperative; pregabalin