Introduction: General anaesthesia is the gold standard anaesthetic technique for laproscopic
appendicitis. However, this procedure is not risk free. Carbon dioxide is used to create
pneumoperitoneum in laproscopic surgeries causes various hemodynamic changes such
as abrupt elevation of arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance and decreased cardiac
output. These changes are well tolerated in healthy patients. There is also an increase in
circulatory catecholamines during laryngoscopy and intubation. Many pharmacological
techniques were evaluated either in the premedication or during the induction to attenuate
the hemodynamic response to pneumoperitoneum such as – deepening the anaesthesia,
pretreatment with vasodilators, adrenoceptor blockers, calcium channel blockers and opiods.
This study is designed to evaluate the hemodynamic changes associated by laryngoscopy,
tracheal intubation and pneumoperitoneum in laparoscopic appendicectomy by premedicating
the patients with Gabapentin (900mg) and Pregabalin (150mg).
Materials and Methods: The study was carried out as a hospital based double blinded
randomized prospective comparative study after obtaining institutional ethics committee
approval in the Department of Anaesthesiology, SMVMCH Puducherry. The sample size
was calculated as 72 with 36 in each group. Patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic
appendicectomy were selected for the study based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion
criteria. The study drug, Gabapentin 900mg or Pregabalin 150mg, was sealed in a black
covered envelope and was given to the patient with sips of water 1 hour before the induction
of anaesthesia by an anaesthetist not involved in study. Anaesthetic and surgical techniques
were standardized for all patients. HR, SBP, DBP, MAP, SpO2 were recorded at the following
points of time:(i) Prior to induction, (ii) 2-3 minutes after intubation, (iii) Before creating
pneumoperitoneum, (iv) After creating pneumoperitoneum, (v) 2 minutes after extubation,
(vi) Intra op,every 5 mins till the end of surgery, (vii) Post op, every 10 mins for the 1st 30
minutes and then every 30 minutes till 3 hours, along with Ramsay sedation score.