A comparative evaluation of oral clonidine and oral gabapentin as a premedication on postoperative analgesia duration in patients undergoing spinal anesthesia

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Premedication with oral clonidine or gabapentin reduces the perioperative pain and decreases the requirement of analgesics. Our study aims at comparing the efficacy of oral clonidine and oral gabapentin for postoperative analgesia duration in surgeries done under spinal anesthesia. Materials and Methods: A prospective, double-blinded study was conducted in randomly selected 100 patients undergoing spinal anesthesia for any surgery (excluding cesarean section). Group C received 100 μg oral clonidine and Group G received 600 mg oral gabapentin, 1 h before spinal anesthesia. Blood pressure, heart rate, and Spo2 were recorded at 0, 15, 30, and 60 min interval. Visual analog scale (VAS) was documented for pain assessment at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 h from the time of onset of spinal anesthesia. The number of rescue analgesic doses required in 24 h postoperatively was noted. The data regarding the patient's demography, changes in the hemodynamics, VAS score, and requirement of rescue analgesia were analyzed. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the hemodynamic changes with either group. The mean VAS score in the first postoperative hour was significantly higher for Group C than Group G (P < 0.0001). The mean requirement of rescue analgesic doses per patient was 3.00 ± 0.35 and 1.84 ± 0.58 in Groups C and G, respectively (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Oral gabapentin is more effective than oral clonidine as a premedication in patients undergoing spinal anesthesia belonging to American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II.