Gabapentin is Associated With Decreased Postoperative Opioid Use and Length of Stay After Appendectomy in Children With Perforated Appendicitis: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Abstract

Background: Gabapentin is increasingly used as an off-label, opioid-sparing pain medication in children. We investigated perioperative gabapentin administration and postoperative opioid use in children who underwent appendectomy for perforated appendicitis.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of healthy children ages 2-18 years undergoing appendectomy for perforated appendicitis from 2014 to 2019 was performed using the Pediatric Health Information System®. Propensity score matched (PSM) analysis was conducted with 1:1 matching based on patient and hospital characteristics. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to evaluate an association between gabapentin, postoperative opioid use, and postoperative length of stay.

Results: Of 29,467 children with perforated appendicitis who underwent appendectomy, 236 (0.8%) received gabapentin. In 2014, <10 children received gabapentin, but by 2019, 110 children received gabapentin. On univariate analysis of the PSM cohort, children receiving gabapentin had decreased total postoperative opiate use (2.3 SD ± 2.3 versus 3.0 SD ± 2.5 days, p < 0.001). On adjusted analysis, children receiving gabapentin had 0.65 fewer days of postoperative total opioid use (95% CI: -1.09, -0.21) and spent 0.69 fewer days in the hospital after surgery (95% CI: -1.30, -0.08).

Conclusion: While overall use is infrequent, gabapentin is increasingly administered to children with perforated appendicitis who undergo an appendectomy and is associated with decreased postoperative opioid use and reduced postoperative length of stay. Multimodal pain management strategies incorporating gabapentin may reduce postoperative opioid consumption, but further studies of drug safety are needed for this off-label use in children undergoing surgery.

Level of evidence: III.

Keywords: Appendicitis; Gabapentin; Multimodal pain management; Opioid; Postoperative pain.

Fig. 1.

Flow diagram of cohort selection.

Fig. 2.

Prevalence of Perioperative Gabapentin and Postoperative Opioid Use. The left vertical axis shows total patients receiving perioperative opioids, while the right vertical axis shows total patients receiving perioperative gabapentin. The horizontal axis denotes year of surgery.