AI sepsis tool more reliable than human doctors finds study

Responsible for around 44,000 deaths every year in the UK, sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. The condition can cause a drastic drop in blood pressure leaving organs deprived of blood flow and oxygen so as well as the use of antibiotics to fight the infection, treatment also includes extra fluids and medication that tightens blood vessels in order to raise the blood pressure.

According to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine the new system 'learnt' the best treatment strategy for a patient by analysing the records of about 100,000 hospital patients and every single doctor's decisions affecting them. Researchers looked back at US patient records from 130 intensive care units over a 15-year period to explore whether the AI system's recommendations might have been able to improve patient outcomes, compared with standard care.