Anwar S, et al. - In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, researchers investigated whether persistent pain post-cardiac surgery could be avoided by using pregabalin and ketamine. This investigation was run at two cardiac surgery centers in the United Kingdom. Either usual care, pregabalin (150 mg preoperatively and twice daily for 14 postoperative days) alone, or pregabalin together with a 48-h postoperative infusion of intravenous ketamine at 0.1 mg · kg⁻¹ · h⁻¹ was randomly administered to adults without chronic pain and undergoing any elective cardiac surgery patients via sternotomy. A significant reduction in the prevalence of persistent pain post-cardiac surgery was achieved with preoperative use of 150 mg of pregabalin and postoperative continuation twice daily for 14 days.