Preoperative Gabapentin for Post-tonsillectomy Pain in Children
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The typical post-operative course for children following surgical removal of their tonsils
and adenoids can be challenging, especially for pain control. First line medications for pain
include intravenous and enteral narcotics, acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists but their effects appear to be
short-lived. Gabapentin has been shown in adult studies to tone down the body's response to
pain and decreases opioid use post-operatively. The purpose of this study is to see if a
single preoperative dose will reduce post-operative pain scores and the amount of analgesic
used.