Attenuation of Hemodynamic Responses to Intubation by Gabapentin in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: a Randomized Clinical Trial

A varieties of medications have been suggested to prevent hemodynamic instabilities following laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation. This study was conducted to determine the beneficial effects of gabapentin on preventing hemodynamic instabilities associated with intubation in patients who were a candidate for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). This double blinded randomized, parallel group clinical trial was carried out on 58 normotensive patients scheduled for elective CABG under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation in Shariati Hospital. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups of 29 patients that received 1200 mg of gabapentin in two dosages (600 mg, 8 hours before anesthesia induction and 600 mg, 2 hours before anesthesia induction) as gabapentin group or received talc powder as placebo (placebo group). Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured immediately before intubation, during intubation, immediately after intubation, 1 and 2 minutes after tracheal intubation. Inter-group comparisons significantly showed higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and heart rate immediately before intubation, during intubation, immediately after intubation, 1 and 2 minutes after tracheal intubation in the placebo group in comparison to gabapentin group. The median of anxiety verbal analog scale (VAS) at the pre-induction room in gabapentin and placebo groups were 2 and 4, respectively that was significantly lower in the former group (P. value =0.04); however, regarding median of pain score no difference was observed between them (P. value =0.07). Gabapentin (1200mg) given preoperatively can effectively attenuate the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy, intubation and also reduce preoperative related anxiety in patients who were a candidate for CABG.