Logical Reasoning

PT135 · S1 · Q15 Researcher: Every year approximately

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Researcher: Every year approximately the same number of people die of iatrogenic "disease"—that is, as a direct result of medical treatments or hospitalization—as die of all other causes combined.

Evidence

Every year approximately the same number of people die of iatrogenic “disease”—that is, as a direct result of medical treatments or hospitalization—as die of all other causes combined.

Conclusion

Therefore, if all medicine could find ways of preventing all iatrogenic disease, the number of deaths per year would decrease by half.

Evaluate

The argument assumes that 100 percent of the people who did not die of iatrogenic disease would survive for the remainder of the year or longer. If someone were to die that same year, then the number of deaths per year would be reduced by less than half. Also, keep in mind that iatrogenic disease is the result of medical treatments or hospitalization.

Such people are bound to include at least a few who die as a result of the complication for which they were seeking medical care.

15.

The reasoning in the researcher's argument is flawed because the argument fails to consider that

  1. prevention of non-iatrogenic disease will

    Out of Scope

    Prevention of non-iatrogenic disease is not being considered. This argument is about the number of lives that would be saved by preventing iatrogenic disease.

    8% picked this

  2. some medical treatments can be

    Out of Scope

    Whether it is actually possible to prevent some iatrogenic deaths is irrelevant since the researcher’s conclusion is qualified by the condition that all iatrogenic disease were prevented.

    1% picked this

  3. Correct

    people who do not die

    Why this is right

    This points out a reason why the number of deaths per year might decrease by less than half.

    Skill tested: Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    68% picked this

  4. there is no one way

    Out of Scope

    Whether it is actually possible to prevent 100 percent of iatrogenic deaths is irrelevant since the researcher’s conclusion is qualified by the condition that all iatrogenic disease were prevented.

    7% picked this

  5. whenever a noniatrogenic disease occurs,

    Reversal

    This reverses a point that would undermine the researcher’s argument. If iatrogenic disease carried the risk of non-iatrogenic disease, the conclusion would be less likely to follow from the evidence.

    16% picked this

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