Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: Anxiety leads to a surge of catecholamines associated with the stress response leading to tachycardia, hypertension and haemodynamic instability. The present study was conducted to compare effects of gabapentin and alprazolam on post operative analgesia. Materials & Methods: 120 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical status 1 or 2 of both genders scheduled for elective abdominal hysterectomywere divided into 3 groups of 40 each. Group I received oral gabapentin 600 mg, group II received oral 0.5 mg alprazolam and group III placebo – oral B complex forte with Vitamin C 1 capsule. The anxiety and post operative pain was assessed using visual analogue scale. Results: Group I had 22 males and 18 females, group II had 19 males and 21 females and group III had 17 males and 23 females. The mean duration of surgery in group I was 152.2 minutes, in group II was 160.2 minutes and in group III was 152.8 minutes. Anxiety score before pre- medication was 25 in group I, 35 in group II and 32 in group III and after pre- medication was 20 in group I, 19 in group II and 25 in group II. VAS score at 1 hour was 54.4, 71.3 and 75.8, at 2 hours was 42.2, 62.4and 60.4, at 6 hours was 34.5, 34.6 and 42.6 and at 24 hours was 26.4, 15.4 and 18.2 respectively. The difference was significant (P< 0.05).Ramsaysedationscore (h) at 1 hour was 3, 2 and 2, at 2 hours was 2, 2 and 2, at 6 hours was 2, 2 and 2 and at 24 hours was 2, 2 and 2 in group I, II and III respectively. The difference was non- significant (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Alprazolam as premedication was found to be an effective anxiolytic in the pre operative period as compared to gabapentin.