Non-Opioid-Based Adjuvant Analgesia in Perioperative Care
Highlights
- Compared with gabapentin, pregabalin has greater analgesic potency (two to three times more potent) and a more favourable pharmacokinetic profile (more rapidly absorbed, better and predictable oral bioavailability, and longer acting) (View Highlight)
- Gabapentinoids mainly act on the α-2-δ-1 subunit of pre-synpatic calcium channels and inhibit neuronal calcium influx. This results in a reduction in the release of excitatory neurotransmitters such as glutamate, substance P, and calcitonin gene-related peptide from primary afferent nerve fibres thus suppressing neuronal excitability after nerve or tissue injury. They may prevent central sensitization and subsequent hyperalgesia and allodynia, with only minor effects on normal nociceptive pathways (View Highlight)