It is well established that surgical patients whose core body temperat

Question

It is well established that surgical patients whose core body temperatures fall below 36 C (around 96.8 F) during surgery have much higher mortality rates than surgical patients whose core body temperatures remain above 36 C. Consequently, mortality rates could be significantly reduced during surgery if operating rooms were kept significantly warmer than they are presently kept under standard hospital guidelines, which call for temperatures of 21 C (around 69.8 F).

Which of the following, if true, most strongly counters the view that surgical mortality rates could be reduced by raising operating room temperatures?

(A) Surgical mortality rates are slightly higher during summer months than during winter months.

(B) Delivery rooms tend to be kept at slightly higher temperatures than other operating rooms (around 24 C or 75.2 F) because premature babies are especially vulnerable to hypothermia.

(C) It is more costly to maintain surgical equipment at temperatures above 21 C.

(D) Nurses and medical technicians prefer working in room temperatures less than 24 C.

(E) Manual dexterity and mental alertness tend to decline as the temperature rises above 21 C and more significantly so at temperatures above 24 C.

Nidzo · Answer

(A) Surgical mortality rates are slightly higher during summer months than during winter months.
 This could be due to a multitude of reasons, not merely temperature. The season most likely doesn't change the temperature in the operating room as those tend to be artificially controlled.

(B) Delivery rooms tend to be kept at slightly higher temperatures than other operating rooms (around 24 C or 75.2 F) because premature babies are especially vulnerable to hypothermia.
 Out of scope. The argument is solely about mortality rates in operating room, and no information about delivery rooms will help weaken the author's argument.

(C) It is more costly to maintain surgical equipment at temperatures above 21 C.
 The price is not a concern here. Therefore this option is out of scope.

(D) Nurses and medical technicians prefer working in room temperatures less than 24 C.
 Irrelevant. Preferences will not impact the mortality rates.

(E) Manual dexterity and mental alertness tend to decline as the temperature rises above 21 C and more significantly so at temperatures above 24 C.
 This implies that if the operating rooms were made warmer, those involved in the surgery may not be as sharp as they usually are and more prone to making potentially costly errors during the procedure.

Answer E

asishron29181 · Answer

Which of the following, if true, most strongly counters the view that surgical mortality rates could be reduced by raising operating room temperatures?

(A) Surgical mortality rates are slightly higher during summer months than during winter months. -This strengthens the conclusion.

(B) Delivery rooms tend to be kept at slightly higher temperatures than other operating rooms (around 24 C or 75.2 F) because premature babies are especially vulnerable to hypothermia. - We are not concerned about any comparison between delivery rooms and operation rooms.

(C) It is more costly to maintain surgical equipment at temperatures above 21 C. - Cost is out of scope here. Incorrect.

(D) Nurses and medical technicians prefer working in room temperatures less than 24 C. - Incorrect. The preference of nurses/doctors is insignificant.

(E) Manual dexterity and mental alertness tend to decline as the temperature rises above 21 C and more significantly so at temperatures above 24 C. - Correct. Could be one such reason which strongly counters the view that surgical mortality rates could be reduced by raising operating room temperatures.

IMO E

mdsaddamforgmat · Answer

IMO E
Conclusion: mortality rates could be significantly reduced during surgery if operating rooms were kept significantly warmer than they are presently kept under standard hospital guidelines, which call for temperatures of 21 C (around 69.8 F).
Question Stem: Find an option that counters the view that surgical mortality rates could be reduced by raising operating room temperatures.

Option E Talks that Manual dexterity and mental alertness tend to decline as the temperature rises above 21 C and more significantly so at temperatures above 24 C. (This means that chances of increase in mortality may raise due to operational errors)

Paras96 · Answer

To counter the view that raising operating room temperatures would reduce surgical mortality rates, we need to find an option that suggests raising the temperature might not be effective or could have negative consequences. Let's analyze each option:

(A) Surgical mortality rates are slightly higher during summer months than during winter months.
 - This information is unrelated to the argument because it discusses seasonal variations in mortality rates rather than the effect of room temperature. It does not counter the argument effectively.

(B) Delivery rooms tend to be kept at slightly higher temperatures than other operating rooms (around 24 C or 75.2 F) because premature babies are especially vulnerable to hypothermia.
 - This information is relevant but does not directly counter the argument. It explains the need for higher temperatures in delivery rooms for a specific reason, but it doesn't necessarily address the argument about raising the temperature in standard operating rooms.

(C) It is more costly to maintain surgical equipment at temperatures above 21 C.
 - This option counters the argument by suggesting that raising the temperature above 21 C could be economically impractical due to increased costs in maintaining surgical equipment. This could reduce the feasibility of raising the temperature.

(D) Nurses and medical technicians prefer working in room temperatures less than 24 C.
 - This information suggests that medical staff prefer lower room temperatures, but it doesn't directly counter the argument about mortality rates. It may, however, imply resistance to raising the temperature.

(E) Manual dexterity and mental alertness tend to decline as the temperature rises above 21 C and more significantly so at temperatures above 24 C.
 - This option directly counters the argument by highlighting that raising the temperature above 21 C, and especially above 24 C, can negatively impact manual dexterity and mental alertness. This implies that higher temperatures could have adverse effects on the surgical team's performance, which runs counter to the argument that it would reduce mortality rates.

Option (E) is the most effective in countering the view that raising operating room temperatures would reduce surgical mortality rates. It suggests potential negative consequences on the performance of the surgical team due to higher temperatures.

It is well established that surgical patients whose core body temperat

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It is well established that surgical patients whose core body temperat

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