Critical Reasoning questions have you analyze the reasoning in an argument and determine if it is valid or analyze its implications.
The widespread use of antibiotics has two negative effects. Antibiotics use can produce antibiotic-resistant strains because the small numbers of bacteria that aren't killed by the antibiotic are the ones that survive and breed. In addition, antibiotics can kill the body's natural microbes that help fight off foreign bacteria.
Which of the following practices can help reduce these negative consequences and benefit patients?
A) Using antibiotics derived from natural products
B) Produce stronger antibiotics
C) Steadily increase dosage if the results begin to decline
D) Do not give the antibiotic to all people who are sick
E) Changing the antibiotics used every few weeks
Choice (E) gives a way of counteracting a serious drawback of the sustained massive use of antibiotics. If you rotate the antibiotics, the bacteria that develop a resistance to one bacterium will then be killed by the next antibiotic. Choice (A) would not necessarily make any difference. Steadily increasing dosage or developing stronger dosages will not kill the bacteria that have developed a resistance, so choice (B) and (C) can be ruled out. (D) Not treating patients will not benefit patients.
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