Does pregabalin act in pain control after lateral pharyngoplasties and tonsillectomies? A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Some studies have pointed to gabapentinoids as promising medications in postoperative pain control. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin in reducing postoperative pain in tonsillectomy and lateral pharyngoplasties. STUDY DESIGN: Double-blind randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Tertiary care center. METHODS: A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with patients undergoing tonsillectomies and lateral pharyngoplasties between Aug 29, 2017, and Oct 31, 2020. Data of interest such as opioid consumption, pain scores, and adverse outcomes such as dizziness, nausea, headache, and sedation within 7 days following surgeries were analyzed. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed in pain scores and opioid consumption between the groups studied in the pilot project. The use of pregabalin was associated with lower incidence of dizziness compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Gabapentinoids, especially pregabalin, are drugs whose potential for controlling pain after pharyngeal surgery, such as tonsillectomy and sleep apnea surgery, still needs to be more fully evaluated. After the conclusion of the present study, we hope to answer this question about the role of pregabalin in oropharyngeal surgeries.

Supine Frequent Ventricular Extrasystoles in a Pregnant Woman without Structural Heart Disease.

Arrhythmias are the most common cardiac complication during gestational period and may occur in women with or without known structural heart disease. Premature extra beats and sustained tachyarrhythmias are the most common arrhythmias in pregnancy. Symptomatic episodes occur in 20-44% of pregnant women, usually as palpitations, dizziness, or syncope. We searched on Pubmed for ventricular premature complexes (VPC) in pregnant women and found no case reporting increased incidence of this arrhythmia while supine. The aim of this study is to report a case of a pregnant woman without previous structural heart disease that presented a great number of VPC when supine. The arrhythmogenesis increase during pregnancy is multifactorial. In the reported case, we believe that augmented venous return was the most important pathophysiologic process. When the patient changes to left lateral decubitus, there could be a sudden release of the inferior vena cava, causing an abrupt augmentation of venous return to the right heart chambers and increasing the risk of arrhythmias. Obstetricians and primary care physicians should be aware of palpitations and related patient complains while they are asleep or supine.