Effect of Two Different Doses of Gabapentin on the Intraocular Pressure and Hemodynamic Stress Responses to Laryngoscopy and Tracheal Intubation

Background. The stress response to laryngoscopy and intubation causes an undesirable increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and intraocular pressure. This study was designed to compare the effect of two doses of gabapentin on the stress response to laryngoscopy and intubation. Patients and Methods. (ASA I and II) 60 patients, aged from 18 to 60 years undergoing elective eye surgery requiring endotracheal intubation, were randomly allocated into 3 groups, 20 patients each. 2 hours before the surgery, group I received oral placebo, and groups II and III received oral gabapentin 800 mg and 1200 mg, respectively. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and intraocular pressure (IOP) were measured before and after induction of anesthesia, immediately after, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes after intubation. Results. Gabapentin 1200 mg prevented the increase in HR, MAP, and IOP, secondary to laryngoscopy and intubation, and kept them below the baseline till 10 minutes after intubation (), while with gabapentin 800 mg, the increase in HR, MAP, and IOP was nonsignificant () and returned to levels below the baseline at 5 and 10 minutes after intubation. Conclusion. Preoperative gabapentin 1200 mg effectively prevented the stress response to laryngoscopy and intubation; meanwhile, gabapentin 800 mg only prevented significant stress response.