Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Remifentanil is widely used as intraoperative analgesic. Post infusion hyperalgesia has been documented experimentally in both animal and human volunteers. Gabapentin has anti-hyperalgesic effect.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the effect of single preoperative oral dose of 300 mg gabapentin in attenuation of postoperative hyperalgesia induced by remifentanil and the decrease in post-operative analgesic requirement.
PATIENT AND METHOD:
A prospective randomized clinical trial conducted in Tikrit teaching hospital/ Iraq, at 2013. It involves 60 patients who underwent appendectomy. All patients were randomly allocated into two equql groups (each of 30 patients): First controlled group (CG) didn’t pre-medicated with gabapentine and 2nd gabapentine group (GG) pre-medicated with gabapentin.
Intraoperative infusion of remifentanil was used & postoperative pain was assessed in all cases.
RESULTS:
The numerical analog scale NAS score and analgesia requirement post operatively was significantly higher in most times in the (CG) as compared with those of the (GG).
CONCLUSION:
Premedication with 300mg gabapentin orally decreased hyperalgesic effect induced by remifentanil and so decreased the pain score and the analgesic requirement postoperatively.