Korean J Anesthesiol.  2013 Feb;64(2):138-142. 10.4097/kjae.2013.64.2.138.

The prophylactic effects of gabapentin on postoperative sore throat after thyroid surgery

• Lee JH
• Lee HK
• Chun NH
• So Y
• Lim CY

• KMID: 1798227
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2013.64.2.138

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Postoperative sore throat (POST) is considered a usual complication after tracheal intubation, especially, thyroid surgery. Gabapentin is a widely studied multimodal perioperative drug, which can be used to treat acute postoperative pain. The primary endpoints of this study was a reduction of the incidence of POST at rest and during the swallowing movements after thyroid surgery. And the second endpoints was a reduction of the intensity of the POST after thyroid surgery.
METHODS
Seventy-one patients that underwent elective thyroid surgery received either gabapentin (Neurontin(TM) 600 mg) or placebo, orally, one hour before anesthesia. The VAS scores and incidences of POST and adverse effects were determined at 1 hr, 6 hr, 12 hr, and 24 hr after surgery at rest and during swallowing movement.
RESULTS
The gabapentin group (N = 36) showed a lower incidence of POST than the placebo group (N = 35) (47% vs. 78%, P = 0.038), and had significant lower VAS score at 6 and 24 hours after surgery in the resting state. However, during the movement, no intergroup differences were found in terms of the incidence of POST (83% vs. 91%, P = 0.305) or VAS score. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between the two groups, in adverse effects.
CONCLUSIONS
Gabapentin (Neurontin(TM) 600 mg) administered 1 hr before anesthesia reduced the intensity and incidence of POST during the resting state without a significant adverse event, during the 24 hr after thyroid surgery. However, gabapentin did not reduce the intensity and incidence of POST during the swallowing movement.

Keyword

Gabapentin; Postoperative pharyngitis; Thyroid cancer

MeSH Terms

Amines
Anesthesia
Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids
Deglutition
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
Humans
Incidence
Intubation
Pain, Postoperative
Pharyngitis
Thyroid Gland
Thyroid Neoplasms
Amines
Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid