Critical Reasoning

The traditional treatment of strep infections has been a seven-day course of antibiotics, either penicillin or erythromycin. However, since many patients stop taking those drugs within three days, reinfection is common in cases where those drugs are prescribed. A new antibiotic requires only a three-day course of treatment. Therefore, reinfection will probably be less common in cases where the new antibiotic is prescribed than in cases where either penicillin or erythromycin is prescribed.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

A. Some of the people who are allergic to penicillin are likely to be allergic to the new antibiotic.
B. A course of treatment with the new antibiotic costs about the same as a course of treatment with either penicillin or erythromycin.
C. The new antibiotic has been shown to be effective in eradicating bacterial infections other than strep.
D. Some physicians have already begun to prescribe the new antibiotic instead of penicillin or erythromycin for the treatment of some strep infections.
E. Regardless of whether they take a traditional antibiotic or the new one, most patients feel fully recovered after taking the drug for three days.

OA IS E. WHY IS D INCORRECT?

if patients feel that their recovery will stop after 3 days , then how is the new antibiotic effective? its only the feel but no action or work being done by the antibiotic needs to be taken into account .

i hope my question makes sense

hi ,
thanks for the reply. i would just like to know one more thing:

in CR i am getting heavily confused with options that state "some times", "some people in the survey" , "a few people were of the opinion" etc..
how to deal with these options. i know that there is no 100% solution for this, either eliminate the option or take the option into consideration.


request to let me know.

Conclusion: Reinfection will probably be less common in cases where the new antibiotic is prescribed than in cases where either penicillin or erythromycin is prescribed.

D. Some physicians have already begun to prescribe the new antibiotic instead of penicillin or erythromycin for the treatment of some strep infections.

Option D is just a fact that doctor has begun to prescribe the new antibiotic. This does not strengthen the conclusion that Reinfection will probably be less common in cases where the new antibiotic is prescribed than in cases where either penicillin or erythromycin is prescribed.

E. Regardless of whether they take a traditional antibiotic or the new one, most patients feel fully recovered after taking the drug for three days.

Option E implies that most patients feel fully recovered after taking the drug for three days, so patients may stop taking drugs after 3 days. Patients using old antibiotic may have reinfection, but patients using new antibiotic will not have reinfection. This clear strengthens the conclusion that reinfection will be reduced on using new antibiotics.

in CR i am getting heavily confused with options that state "some times", "some people in the survey" , "a few people were of the opinion" etc..
how to deal with these options. i know that there is no 100% solution for this, either eliminate the option or take the option into consideration.

It is case by case and there is no fixed rule.