Does a single preoperative dose of gabapentin reduce postoperative adenotonsillectomy pain and subsequent morphine requirement in children?

This study looks at how an analgesic drug called gabapentin, affects postoperative pain and the amount of morphine required after tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy.

This is not an experimental drug. Gabapentin is commonly used as analgesia (pain relief) for some surgical procedures.

Who can participate in this study?

• In order to participate in this study, your child must be aged between 5 and 12 years old, be in good general health, and be scheduled for surgery to remove his/her tonsils or tonsils and adenoids.

Who should not participate in this study?

• Children who are allergic to morphine (or similar drugs), or gabapentin will not be included. Children with kidney or gastrointestinal disease, and those who are already using pain-relieving (analgesics) or indigestion (antacid) medicines will also be excluded from the study.  Your child’s anesthesiologist will make this judgment.
  
  Our pain scoring chart will be explained to your child. If he/she has difficulty understanding it, then we will not include them in the study.

Status?

• Data collection completed. Data analysis and publication in progress