Effects of Pregabalin versus Gabapentin on their Opioid Sparing Effects among Patients Undergoing Laproscopic Cholecystectomy: A Randomised Controlled Study

Abstract

Introduction: Gabapentin and pregabalin were earlier used as antiepileptics. These have been also found to have analgesic, anticonvulsant and anxiolytic effects. Aim: To compare the pre-emptive use of pregabalin and gabapentin on their opioid sparing effects among patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Materials and Methods: This randomised controlled, singleblind study was conducted in Department of Anaesthesiology at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and M.Y Hospital Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, from August 2020 to August 2021. The study included 90 patients of American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class I/II, undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were allocated randomly into three groups, 30 patients each. Group P receiving tablet oral pregabalin 150 mg, group G receiving oral gabapentin 600 mg and group C receiving tablet multivitamin (control group), before induction of anaethesia. Intraoperative requirement of opioids, sedation score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, and postoperatively analgesia requirement in the form of opioid were noted. Association between two non parametric variables was done using Pearson Chi-square test. Comparison of means between three groups was done using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by Posthoc Turkey test. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 software was used. Results: The mean age in group P, C and G was 39.73±13.55 year, 38.67±13.33 year and 41.03±5.62 years (p-value=0.726). The mean intraoperative requirement of opioid in pregabalin group was 100 μg, in gabapentin group was 100 μg when compared to control group 150 μg. Postoperative requirement of analgesic was later in pregabalin group (7.23±0.64 hours) compared to gabapentin group (5.78±0.49 hours) and control group (4.37±0.47 hours). Conclusion: Pregabalin and gabapentin have opioid-sparing effect intraoperatively and postoperatively and can be used preemptively as an attractive choice.