The Effect of Single Dose Oral Gabapentin as Preemptive Analgesia for Postoperative Pain for Orthopedic Surgeries Done Under Spinal Anaesthesia

Abstract

BACKGROUNDThe concept of preemptive analgesia, which has been recently introduced is nothing but administering an analgesic drug prior to a noxious stimulus such as surgical skin incision. This analgesic administration is supposed to decrease surgical stress response as well as postoperative analgesic requirements. Gabapentin has demonstrated its utility in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. Gabapentin has been reported to possess antihyperalgesic and antiallodynia properties. Recently several reports have indicated that gabapentin may have a place in the treatment of postoperative pain. It has been shown in studies that there is lower pain score and significantly less requirements of opioids and related side effects postoperatively, when gabapentin is used as preemptive analgesia.