A comparison of the preemptive effects of oral pregabalin and gabapentin on acute postoperative sedation and complications in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery.

Background: Gabapentinoids are often administered preoperatively, as they have been shown to reduce postoperative opioid consumption and pain scores however sedation has always been a concern because of sedative side effect.

Objective: This study was intended to compare oral gabapentin versus oral pregabalin sedative effects and complications in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery under general anaesthesia.

Methods: This study was a true experimental randomised, placebo-controlled, prospective study, conducted at Rafedia Government Surgical Hospital in Nablus, Palestine. The sample consisted of 60 male and female patients undergoing elective lumbar spine surgeries in the department of neurology and aged from 18 to 70 years. The patients were divided into three groups (20 patients each): The pregabalin 150mg group, the gabapentin group and the placebo group.

Findings: Nearly 51.7% of the participants reported that they experienced a feeling of nausea or vomiting after the operation. There were statistically significant differences (p-value = 0.008) between the groups in how often complications happen after surgery.

Conclusions: Preemptive pregabalin (150mg) was established to have a more sedative effect and lowered complications than gabapentin (300mg).