Argument51 *自由女神小组*第十八次作业

wonderfullnameUID: 2208232

Argument51 "Doctors have long suspected that secondary infections may keep some patients from healing quickly after severe muscle strain. This hypothesis has now been proved by preliminary results of a study of two groups of patients. The first group of patients, all being treated for muscle injuries by Dr. Newland, a doctor who specializes in sports medicine, took antibiotics regularly throughout their treatment. Their recuperation time was, on average, 40 percent quicker than typically expected. Patients in the second group, all being treated by Dr. Alton, a general physician, were given sugar pills, although the patients believed they were taking antibiotics. Their average recuperation time was not significantly reduced. Therefore, all patients who are diagnosed with muscle strain would be well advised to take antibiotics as part of their treatment."

In this medical newsletter, the author writes that patients who are diagnosed with muscle strain would be suggested to take antibiotics, because a hypothesis related to this have been proved by preliminary result of a study. However, there are some dubious points that make the recommendation unconvincing.

To start with, this study results were initial, understandably, the hypothesis cannot be confirmed unless taking a further research. The hypothesis is related to severe muscle strain patients and these patients are infected by secondary infections. But from the study content, it do not mention these patients' twisted their strain severely. Furthermore, this study merely constitutes of two groups of patients, whether the two groups can be representative of general patients who suffer from muscle strain or whether the number of each group’s patients are equal. If they are different from other patients, the study is meaningless.

Secondly, assume that the two groups are representative of typical patients, the contents of the study are specious. The first group’s patients may different from the second group's in many aspects, such as age, for the matter that young people recover quicker than older people. The second aspect is the recuperation time which depends on the extent of suffering, patients’ suffering cannot be identical unless few patients participated in this study but the patients could be divided by the same average extent of suffering. The Third is patients’ various psychology, patients who support or disagree the hypothesis will influence the results of their recuperation. For example, patients who support this hypothesis will be optimistic and positively accept the treatment, undoubtedly, they can recover more quickly. There are also some other factors induce the difference of patients, such as the habit of diet, life regulation and so forth.

Thirdly, suppose the average character of each group’s patients was similar, the treatment method may vary. Because the first group is Dr. Newland who specialize in sport medicine, and the other group is Dr. Alton who is a general physician. Therefore, they treated their own patients with different methods. In this situation, the effect on patients’ recovering would be different. Even if they cure their patients with the same method, it may be different as well. Consider, whether patients trust their curial doctor. Perhaps the first group’s patients trust their doctor more than the second group’s in that Dr. Newland is more special in sport medicine.

Finally, the data about patients’ recuperation time are specious. The second result showed that their average recuperation time was not significantly reduced. It was so obscure that we can not figure out which group patients’ average recuperation time is quicker. Perhaps the second group’s average recuperation time was the same quicker than typically expected as the former group. Hence, this comparison of data can prove nothing.

To sum up, the medical newsletter is unconvincing in that the preliminary study result cannot prove the hypothesis correctly. They  need further study to advise patients who are suffered from muscle strain to take antibiotics.  

[ 本帖最后由 wonderfullname 于 2007-2-13 10:44 编辑 ]