Conclusion: "the increased use of such monitoring equipment in operating rooms will not significantly cut fatalities due to anesthesia."
Why? A careful review of hospital fatalities due to anesthesia during the last 20 years indicated that the most significant safety improvements resulted from better training of anesthetists. We are told that equipment that monitors a patient's oxygen and carbon dioxide levels was not available in most operating rooms during the period under review.
So because the most significant safety improvements occurred because of better training, and since relevant equipment was not available in most operating rooms during that period under review, we are concluding that the increased use of such monitoring equipment in operating rooms will not significantly cut fatalities due to anesthesia.
Why not? Why can't they both help? The argument is erroneously reasoning that just because one thing is cited to show that it helps improve safety, another potential thing won't help.
This is exactly what answer choice (A) is pointing out: "the evidence cited to show that one factor led to a certain result is not sufficient to show that a second factor will not also lead to that result."
Remember, both scenarios could help improve the safety of the hospital facilities. Just because one is proven to improve safety does not mean that the other would not improve safety, as well.
Thus, answer choice (A) is correct.
If you have any specific questions on the other answer choices, please feel free to clarify.
Hope that was helpful! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
feliciaallen76October 26, 2017
Hi! Could you explain why answer choice C is not correct. It seems very similar to answer choice A.
Ashley-TienJune 28, 2018
Could someone explain the difference between answer choice A and C?
AnitaJune 30, 2018
@Ashley-Tien C is talking about an effect from the absence of a factor, which isn't what the prompt is discussing. The prompt says that the machines were absent, but not that their absence had an effect. Instead, it assumes that their absence means there is no effect. That's what A gets at.
