Effect of pentazocine on post-operative pain (average VAS scores)

Description

The table shows, separately for males and females, the effect of pentazocine on post-operative pain profiles (average VAS scores), with (mbac and fbac) and without (mpl and fpl) preoperatively administered baclofen. Pain scores are recorded every 20 minutes, from 10 minutes to 170 minutes.

Usage

gaba

Format

A data frame with 9 observations on the following 7 variables.

min

a numeric vector

mbac

a numeric vector

mpl

a numeric vector

fbac

a numeric vector

fpl

a numeric vector

avbac

a numeric vector

avplac

a numeric vector

Details

15 females were given baclofen, as against 3 males. 7 females received the placebo, as against 16 males. Averages for the two treatments (baclofen/placebo), taken over all trial participants and ignoring sex, are misleading.

Source

Gordon, N. C. et al.(1995): 'Enhancement of Morphine Analgesia by the GABA_B against Baclofen'. Neuroscience 69: 345-349.

Examples

data(gaba)
mr <- range(gaba$min)
tran <- range(gaba[, c("mbac","mpl","fbac","fpl")])
## Means by treatment and sex
par(mfrow=c(1,2))
plot(mr, tran, xlab = "Time post pentazocine (min)",
     ylab = "Reduction in VAS pain rating", 
     type = "n", xlim = c(0, 170), ylim = tran)
points(gaba$min, gaba$fbac, pch = 1, col = 8, lwd = 2, lty = 2, 
       type = "b")
points(gaba$min, gaba$fpl, pch = 0, col = 8, lwd = 2, lty = 2, 
       type = "b")
points(gaba$min, gaba$mbac, pch = 16, col = 8, lty = 2, type = "b")
points(gaba$min, gaba$mpl, pch = 15, col = 8, lty = 2, type = "b")
box()
## Now plot means, by treatment, averaged over all participants
plot(mr, tran, xlab = "Time post pentazocine (min)",
     ylab = "Reduction in VAS pain rating", 
     type = "n", xlim = c(0, 170), ylim = tran)
bac <- (15 * gaba$fbac + 3 * gaba$mbac)/18
plac <- (7 * gaba$fpl + 9 * gaba$mpl)/16
points(gaba$min, plac, pch = 15, lty = 1, col=1, type = "b")
points(gaba$min, bac, pch = 16, lty = 1, col=1, type = "b")
box()
par(mfrow=c(1,1))