Effects of single preoperative oral pregabalin administration on postoperative hyperalgesia and opioid consumption after total abdominal hysterectomy

Background The objective of this randomized double blind study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative single oral dose of pregabalin 150 mg on pain sensitivity, postoperative hyperalgsia and opioid consumption after total abdominal hysterectomy. Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative single oral dose of pregabalin on pain sensitivity, postoperative hyperalgsia and opioid consumption after total abdominal hysterectomy. Patients and methods Sixty female patients were randomly categorized into two equal groups (30 patients each): group I, patients received pregabalin 150 mg orally, 1 h before induction of anaesthesia. Group II, patients received a matching placebo orally, 1 h before induction of anaesthesia, then evaluation of postoperative analgesia by visual analogue scale score, postoperative hyperalgesia using von Frey filaments and opioid consumption for 24 h was carried out. Conclusion From the primary endpoints assessed in this work, one can declare that usage of pregabalin in a dose of 150 mg, was more effective in reducing hemodynamic changes, postoperative pain intensity, hyperalgesia and analgesic consumption in comparison with a placebo as pre-emptive analgesia, when neither doses caused respiratory depression or sedation or PONV, but found also to significantly increase postoperative side effects including dizziness and somnolence as a secondary endpoint assessed.