Gabapentin Premedication to Reduce Postoperative Pain for Pediatric Tonsillectomy

The purpose of this pilot study: 1) to examine the use of gabapentin in reducing pain in the first 48 hours postoperatively including the total amount of narcotics mg/kg given 2) to record the time to first analgesic postoperatively and 3) to compare Wong Baker and the 0-10 numeric pain distress scale scores at 12, 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. We hypothesize one 15mg/kg (up to 600mg) dose of gabapentin will decrease mean narcotic amounts in mg/kg compared to participants who do not receive preoperative gabapentin and will demonstrate a decreased mean time to first analgesic as well as to lower mean pain scores for each age group at 12, 24 and 48 hours.