Table 3

Assessment of edema by specific gravity of brain tissue

Measurement
Group (n)
Left hemisphere
Right hemisphere
P

SG
C (8)
1.0444 ± 0.0001
1.0443 ± 0.0002
0.24

S (8)
1.0429 ± 0.0009a,b
1.0424 ± 0.0012c,d
0.44

C-Mg (8)
1.0444 ± 0.0002
1.0444 ± 0.0001
0.44

S-Mg (8)
1.0438 ± 0.0007
1.0439 ± 0.0004e
0.24
KW

18.831
24.724

d.f.

3
3

P

< 0.001
<0.0001


Abbreviations: d.f., degrees of freedom; KW, Kruskal–Wallis test statistic; P, approximate χ2 P value; SG, specific gravity. Groups: sham control (C), sham control MgSO4-treated (C-Mg), septic (S) and septic MgSO4-treated (S-Mg). Data are expressed as means ± standard deviation.

Dunn's multiple comparisons test: aseptic versus sham control, P < 0.001; bseptic versus sham control MgSO4-treated, P < 0.01; cseptic versus sham control, P < 0.01; dseptic versus sham control MgSO4-treated, P < 0.001; eseptic MgSO4-treated versus sham control MgSO4-treated, P < 0.05. A Mann–Whitney test was used for within-group comparisons. Two-tailed P values are shown in the last column.

Esen et al. Critical Care 2005 9:R18   doi:10.1186/cc3004