The Effect of Gabapentin, Ketamine and Dexamethasone on Pain and Opioid Requirements After Hip Surgery

The Effect of Gabapentin, Low Dose Ketamine, Paracetamol, NSAID and Dexamethasone on Pain and Opioid Requirements in Patients Scheduled for Primary Total Hip Replacement

Patients scheduled for primary hip replacement needs postoperative pain treatment, i.e. morphine. Morphine has side-effects: nausea, vomiting, sedation and dizziness. These side-effects are unpleasant for the patients and sometimes keeps them at bed longer time than needed. We investigate in new combinations of analgesics for postoperative pain, hoping to minimize the need for morphine.

The effect on postoperative pain of the combination of preoperative gabapentin 1200 mg + dexamethasone 8 mg + ketamine 0.15mg/kg versus placebo is investigated on patients having a hip alloplastic operation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients scheduled for primary total hip replacement,
• Between 55 and 85 years of age,
• ASA 1-3 and BMI between 18 and 35.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who are:

• Unable to cooperate
• Does not speak Danish
• Has allergy for drugs used in the trial
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Epilepsy
• Medically treated diabetes
• Known kidney disease
• Daily use of analgetics
• Apart from NSAID
• Paracetamol or COX2 inhibitors
• Are treated with a antidepressive.