Argument51【Triple Week】第6次练习by newletter2002

newletter2002UID: 2653136

TOPIC: ARGUMENT51 - The following appeared in a medical newsletter.
"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."
WORDS: 382          TIME: 00:30:00          DATE: 2009-7-26 14:59:17
In this argument, the arguer concludes that secondary infections may keep some patients from healing quickly after severe muscle strain. And to support his conclusion, he provides a study of two groups of patients. The patients of first group took antibiotics regularly, while the patients of second group did not. And the patients of first group were 40 percent quicker than typically expected. I find the author's argument unconvineing in several important respects.
First of all, the argument claims that the first and second groups' different effect because  one of them use antibiotics and another do not, and automatically ignore that they accepted different doctor's  treatment. However, this might not be the case.The arguer overlooks other possible explanations for this phenomenon.Dr.Newland is a doctor who specializes in sports medicine and Dr.Alton is a general physician. Since Dr.Newland is major in sports medicine, it is possible that he help the patients in rehabilitation weekly and Dr.Alton only gives the patients some sugar pills. This can also lead to the result metioned in the study.
Second, even assuming that antibiotics effect the patients treatment, it does not mean that it does not have any side effects. They can cause allergies. Maybe the patients who treated by antibiotics get well now , but we do not know how antibiotics will affet their body in the coming future. Since the author can not get the evidence that antibiotics are totally safe. Maybe its negative way is more than its positive way.
Finally, the arguer assumes that muscle injuries is the same case as secondary infections. They are totally different, The medince which can be used on muscle injuries may not affect secondary infections successfully. Muscle injuries caused by because something wrong with muscular tissue and  secondary infections is because of the spread of bacteria.Without thinking about these alternatives, we cannot accept the arguer's recommedation about antibiotics on the treatment of secondart infections is the effective one.
To sum up, the arguer's conclusion about antibiotics is not well supported as it stands. To better assess the recommendation, I would need to know the detail of the study and find the envidences to support that using antibiotics is totally safe.