Comparison of Preoperative Pregabalin Versus Dexamethasone for Postoperative Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Inguinal Hernia Repair

Abstract

Objective: To compare the efficacy of pregabalin versus dexamethasone for post-operative analgesia in patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair.

This randomized trial was carried out in the Department of Anaesthesia at Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi after the approval of the Ethical review board, from February 2019 to November 2019.

Methodology: A total of 120 patients were equally divided into two equal groups using lottery method. Group A received pregabalin and group B received dexamethasone. Patients were observed for 24 hours for post operative pain control. Visual Analogue Scale was used to grade pain at 6, 12 and 24 hours

Results: The mean age in Group-A was 43.38+15.80 years and 42.85+14.52 years in Group-B, comparison of the effect of single dose preoperative Pregabalin and IV dexamethasone on mean post-operative pain in patients undergoing hernia surgery under spinal anesthesia shows that at 6 hrs 2.83+1.10 in Group-A and 3.98+1.41 in Group-B, p value 0.0001, at 12 hrs 2.22+1.28 in Group-A and 3.33+1.49 in Group-B, p value was 0.0001 and at 24 hrs it was calculated as 1.0+0.75 in Group-A and 1.6+1.0 in Group-B, p value was 0.0005.

Conclusion: Pregabalin is superior to dexamethasone for post-operative pain control in patients undergoing hernia repair under spinal anesthesia.

Keywords: Dexamethasone, pregabalin, Inguinal hernia, post-operative pain.