In response to high mortality in area hospitals, surgery was restricted to emergency procedures during a five-week period  Mortality in these hospitals was found to have fallen by nearly one-third during the period  The number of deaths rose again when elective surgery (surgery that can be postponed) was resumed
It can be concluded that, before the five-week period, the risks of elective surgery had been incurred unnecessarily often in the area
Even if a surgical procedure is successful, the patient can die of a hospital-contracted infection with a bacterium that is resistant to antibiotic treatment.