A reader claims: 'Stewardship reviews cut hospital deaths.' What is the correct assessment? (Passage: Antibiotic stewardship)
Antibiotics kill bacteria but have no effect on viruses, yet surveys in several countries show that many patients expect a prescription for colds. Each unnecessary course gives surviving bacteria the chance to develop resistance. Hospitals therefore run stewardship programmes in which a pharmacist reviews every antibiotic prescription after 48 hours, when test results are usually available. In one hospital this review reduced total antibiotic use by 15 per cent without any rise in deaths. The authors note that the study was not randomised, so other changes in the hospital could have contributed.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. False
- Step 1: Compare 'no rise' with 'cut'. Step 2. The passage reports no rise in deaths, which is different from a fall. Answer: False. Why not the others: No rise is not a cut; the passage does give information on deaths; colds patients are not linked to deaths.
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