Pregabalin administered as an anxiolytic agent in ultrasound-guided infraclavicular block: a controlled, double-blind, dose-ranging trial

M.B. Cegin, L. Soyoral, N. Yuzkat, V. Baydi, U. Goktas

Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dursun Odabas Medical Center, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey. mbilalcegin@hotmail.com

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• Pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: Adjuvant agents, given with local anesthetics or via venous, oral, or rectal routes for peripheral nerve blocking, have been in use for a long time. Literature studies about pregabalin usage in peripheral nerve blocking are limited in number. In this study, we aimed to reveal the blocking quality of pregabalin administered orally in various doses as an anxiolytic agent and its effective dose range.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty patients who underwent upper extremity bone surgery were included in the study. The cases were divided into 4 randomized groups of 20 patients. The group that did not receive any medication before the surgery was named the Control Group (Group C), the group that received 75 mg pregabalin per os was named Group P75, the group that received 150 mg pregabalin per os was named Group P150, and the group that received 300 mg pregabalin per os was named Group P300. The study had a controlled and double-blind design. Before, during and after routine peripheral nerve blocking, vital signs, Ramsey Sedation Scale, Patient Satisfaction, Visual Analog Scale, and termination durations of sensorial and motor blocks were recorded.

RESULTS: Motor block initiation durations of all groups given pregabalin were significantly shorter than those of Group C. Sensorial block termination durations were similar in Group P150 and Group P300, and both were significantly longer than those in Group C and Group P75. First analgesic requirement time for Group P150 and Group P300 were significantly longer than that of Group P75. Although there was no significant difference between postoperative patient satisfaction and VAS values, first analgesic requirement times of the pregabalin administered groups were longer than those of the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: The patients, who are about to undergo surgery, generally develop anxiety about death, not waking up from anesthesia, disability, pain and loss of ability to work. Pregabalin is an anti-epileptic, analgesic and anxiolytic agent. With these characteristics, it can be used to reduce pre-operative anxiety, for prophylaxis against convulsions and post-operative analgesia.
One hundred fifty mg of pregabalin provides sufficient and effective analgesia, and this dose positively affects the quality of the block.

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