Critical Reasoning

Hi Everyone,

Could anyone please help me in understanding the answer of the following CR question:

There is a great deal of geographical variation in the frequency of many surgical procedures -- up to tenfold variation per hundred thousand people between different areas in the numbers of hysterectomies,prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies.

To support a conclusion that much of the variation is due to unnecessary surgical procedures, it would be most important to establish which of the following?

(A)A local board of review at each hospital examines the records of every operation to determine whether the surgical procedure was necesaary.
(B)The variation is unrelated to factors(othher than the surgical procedures themselves) that influence the incidence of diseases for which surgery might be considered.
(C)There are several categories of surgical procedure (other than hysterectomies,prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies) that are often performed unnecessarily.
(D)For certain surgical procedures, it is difficult to determine after the operation whether the procedures were necessary or whether alternative treatment would have succeeded.
(E)With respect to how often they are performed unnecessarily, hysterectomies,prostatectomies, and tonsillectomies are representatives of surgical procedures in general.

The OA is B.

Regards,
AndyB.

Very tough frame: trying to rephrase

vast changes in the number of surgical procedure changes from an area to other. How much ignore..
dont know H, P , T

Ques: put weight on first "change"
IMO: Do ++Number of surgical procudures

A out of scope
B: change in number is independent of factors H, P, T.. good
C is based on H, P, T
D : concentrating on number not result
E: approach is mentioned we need number

4.35 seconds... I think I better guess on this one

After reading all the options it gets dwn to B vs E
E would have been correct it the conclusion said *Surgical procedures in general are on a rise* citing the given premise and Q asked which assumption supports the conclusion?
but we are asked the important reason to rule out unecessary surgical procedures.
option B does exactly the same. it says the variation is not related to the unecessary surgical procedures.

so B wins.

The question is tricky simply because the passage uses a number of large words to try to confuse the reader. All the passage is actually saying is:

Different geogrpahic areas have different frequencies of medical procedures.

The question then presents the conclusion that the frequency is influenced by unnecessary procedures being performed by the doctors and they want you to provide information necessary to jump from the passage info to the conclusion.

A. Incorrect. Just because the surgery is reviewed would not mean that the surgery is or is not needed.

B. Correct. Imagine that you live in a country where there is a widespread outbreak of the flu due to the climate. The amount of people in that country that have to receive treatment is significantly more than in another country where the climate does not increase flu cases. The medical procedure is necessary in this case and its geographical factors that cause the treatment.

C. Incorrect. The passage is concerned with "many" procedures not just HPT.

D. Incorrect. Again we are dealing with "many" procedures. "Certain" procedures would not validate or invalidate the conclusion.

E. Incorrect. Again we are not just concerned with HPT.