• Alireza Mahoori, Heydar Noroozinia, Ebrahim Hasani, and Sonia Hosainzadeh.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
• Saudi J Anaesth. 2014 Apr 1;8(2):220-3.

BackgroundGabapentin, an anticonvulsant, recently has been suggested as an effective post-operative "analgesic" agent. The objective of the present study was to examine the analgesic effectiveness and opioid-sparing effects associated with the use of a single dose of gabapentin as a prophylactic analgesic.Materials And MethodsIn a randomized double-blinded clinical trial, 50 American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II patients with an age range of 40-60 years who were the candidate for inguinal herniorrhaphy under spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned to receive 400 mg gabapentin or placebo 2 h prior to surgery. Post-operatively, the pain was assessed on a visual analog scale (VAS) at 2, 4, 12 and 24 h at rest. Morphine 0.05 mg/kg intravenously was used to treat post-operative pain on patient's demand. Total morphine consumption in the first 24 h after surgery was also recorded.ResultsPatients in the gabapentin group had significantly lower VAS scores at the all-time intervals of study than those in the placebo group (P < 0.05). The total morphine consumption in the first 24 h after surgery was also significantly lower in gabapentin group than in the placebo group (0.9 ± 1.23 vs. 1.8 ± 1.5; P = 0.003). There was no significant difference between the first time of analgesic request among the two groups.ConclusionIn conclusion, prophylactic administration of gabapentin decreases pain scores and analgesic consumption in the first 24 h after repair of inguinal hernia.

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