In response to the growing threat of multidrug-resistant organisms, or superbugs, Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for a solution. This initiative comes after the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions, contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance in these superbugs.
The South China Morning Post reported on Nov. 24 that the prevalence of superbugs like vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Candida auris has risen significantly due to the reallocation of medical resources during the COVID-19 crisis. Dr. Raymond Lai, the chief infection control officer at the Hospital Authority, highlighted the impact of this shift:
The antibiotic resistance rate for vancomycin-resistant enterococci, for example, increased from 0.22% in 2021 to 1.2% in 2023. Similarly, cases of individuals carrying Candida auris rose sharply from 200 in 2020 to over 300 by October 2023. Lai warned that around 10% of people with this fungus could develop invasive infections, with a mortality rate between 53% and 83.3%.
To address this issue, the Hospital Authority plans to initiate an AI pilot in January 2024 at two major hospitals, Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin and Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung. The AI will scrutinize clinical data to assess the necessity of prescribing antibiotics, starting with a commonly used type and eventually expanding to cover more varieties across 17 public hospitals.
This initiative follows other successful AI applications in healthcare, such as the May 2023 project by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and McMaster University. Their AI-driven research led to the discovery of a new antibiotic capable of combating Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacterium known for causing various drug-resistant infections.
2 Comments
Pingback: AstraZeneca and Absci collaborate on AI-driven cancer antibody research - CoinMarket.News
Pingback: ChatGPT achieves milestone by passing clinical neurology exam - CoinMarket.News