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121. Thefollowing appeared in a memo from the director of a large group of hospitals.
"In acontrolled laboratory study of liquid hand soaps, a concentrated solution ofextra strength UltraClean hand soap produced a 40 percent greater reduction inharmful bacteria than did the liquid hand soaps currently used in ourhospitals. During our recent test of regular-strength UltraClean withdoctors, nurses, and visitors at our hospital in Worktown,the hospital reported significantly fewer cases of patient infection (a 20percent reduction) than did any of the other hospitals in our group. Therefore,to prevent serious patient infections, we should supply UltraClean at allhand-washing stations, including those used by visitors, throughout ourhospital system."
Write aresponse in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of theargument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions andwhat the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
The directorrecommends that we should supply UltraClean(UC) at all hand-washing stationsthroughout hospital system to prevent serious patient infection. To support it,the director cites the result of a controlled laboratory study of hand soap, whichindicating that UC hand soap produces 40 percent greater reduction in harmfulbacteria than other liquid hand soaps. He also claims that a recent test of strengthUltraClean with doctors, nurses, and visitors at our hospital in Worktownreports fewer cases of patient infection. However, the argument containsseveral unwarranted assumptions and logical flaws.
Firstof all, the director unfairly equates the condition in controlled laboratoryand in open environment. The result appeared in the laboratory may not be necessarilyhappen in the open hospital condition. Besides the variety of bacteria, thedifferent environment in which the bacteria live can also change the effect ofthe UC hand soap. Thus, the perfect effect may not be the same, even appearing theopposite is possible.
Secondly,the director claims the fact that cases of serious patient infections decreaseafter using the UC hand soap. The conclusion is based on the assumption thatall the serious infections are caused by some accurate kinds of bacteria. As weall know one kind of drug, here is UC hand soap, can kill only several kinds ofbacteria. However, the serious infection can be caused by many kinds ofreasons, such as various bacteria, virus or the poor immunity of the patient. What’smore the certain bacteria or virus is changing all the time, so UC hand soapmay have no effect on the new one.
Thirdly,the director fails to provide the scope of the test of regular-strengthUltraClean with doctors, nurses, and visitors at our hospital in Worktown. Perhapsonly several people participate who are the special cases. So the result of 20percent reduction of serious infection is unconvincing. On the other hand, thedirector assumes that conditions are the same in all stations. One hospital inWorktown can’t represent hospitals in other stations. For example, the kinds ofbacteria in those hospitals are different, for they are subject to different kindsof diseases. The environment for bacteria including temperature, humidity andso on is different in different stations because of different locations andclimates. When the condition changed, the hand soap’s effect on the bacteriacannot be the same. Thus the suggestion of supplying UC hand soap ay allstations throughout hospital systems is not well supported.
To sumup, the director’s recommend of supplying hand soap in all stations throughoutthe hospital system is unwarranted. To strength the argument, the director hasto provide the evidence the result of the UC hand soap outside the laboratorysuch as in not only one open hospital. Also, he should provide information aboutthe direct relation between serious infection and the bacteria which the handsoap can kill. |
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发表于 2013-1-16 13:49:45
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