Perioperative pregabalin reduced fatigue scores after thoracoscopic pneumonectomy in a RCT of NSCLC patients

Abstract

Postoperative fatigue is prevalent, but non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receive poor treatment after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The main objective of the present trial is to observe the anti-fatigue function of pregabalin in NSCLC patients after surgery. Patients requiring VATS pneumonectomy were randomized into two groups (n=33): the experimental and control groups. The results showed that the experimental group's Identity-Consequence Fatigue Scale (ICFS) scores on days 1, 3, 7, and 30 after the operation decreased more than those of the control group. On days 1, 2, and 3 following surgery, there were significant differences in the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, the incidence rate of anxiety and depression, and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) scores between the two groups. Furthermore, we discovered that the ICFS scores were positively related to the VAS scores, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores, and AIS scores. Postoperative fatigue and pain, on the other hand, were more closely related. Finally, this analysis suggested that perioperative pregabalin can reduce postoperative fatigue in NSCLC patients by relieving postoperative pain, anxiety, and depression, improving postoperative sleep quality, and promoting early recovery.

Keywords: Pregabalin; analgesia; postoperative fatigue; video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Figure 1

Flowchart of the patients enrolled in the study, including the overall changes in participants. A total of 66 eligible patients were divided into two groups based on intervention measures.

Figure 2

Fatigue scores in two cases. Generalized estimated equation analysis was performed to analyze the time trend in the ICFS scores. The horizontal axis is the time, and the vertical axis is the ICFS score. The measurement data were all expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (SD). *Compared with the EG group, P<0.05. Abbreviations: EG, Experimental Group; CG, Control Group; ICFS, Identity-Consequence Fatigue Scale; PRE, Preoperative; POD, Postoperative Day.