which details describe evidence that led dr.semmelweis to conclude that childbed fever could be prevented with handwashing

Question

far fewer women died during home and midwife births than during hospital births

doctors at the hospital performed autopsies on women who had died in childbirth and then examined laboring women

dr. s being hungarian and jewish was relegated to running the obstetrics division of the hospital.

childbed fever caused terrible suffering that led to death within the first day after giving birth

dr s. was obsessed w/ finding the cause of an illness that was taking the lives of a nearly third of his patients

Answer 1

The evidence that led Dr. Semmelweis to conclude that childbed fever could be prevented with handwashing can be primarily attributed to the first two points. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Far fewer women died during home and midwife births than during hospital births: This observation prompted Semmelweis to investigate the differences in practices between these settings. The stark contrast in mortality rates suggested that something about the hospital environment was contributing to the deaths, leading him to consider hygiene practices.

2. Doctors at the hospital performed autopsies on women who had died in childbirth and then examined laboring women: This practice raised concerns about the potential transmission of infectious material. Semmelweis noted that the doctors, after performing autopsies, did not wash their hands before examining new mothers, which suggested a possible link between unclean hands and the spread of childbed fever.

The other options, while they provide context about Semmelweis’s motivations and the seriousness of the illness, do not directly describe the evidence that led him to his conclusion about handwashing specifically as a preventive measure.