Stroke victims 48 PER CENT more likely to make full recovery when diagnosed using AI technology

Stroke victims up to 48 PER CENT more likely to make full recovery when diagnosed using AI technology, trials suggest

AI that helps speed-up stroke diagnosis has helped tripled patient recovery rate
The software has been used at 22 NHS hospitals so far to help 100,000 patients
But considering its success the Government now wants to roll it out more widely

By Kate Pickles Health Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: 00:00 GMT, 27 December 2022 | Updated: 00:00 GMT, 27 December 2022

Artificial intelligence software used in NHS hospitals has spared tens of thousands of patients from permanent disability, initial findings suggest.

The technology, which assists doctors to quickly diagnose patients who have had a stroke, has tripled the number who go onto live normal lives.

Initial analysis of the data, involving more than 100,000 suspected stroke patients, claims the proportion who made near full recoveries increased from 16 to 48 per cent.

Experts suggest this is down to faster diagnosis and speedier treatment – a key part of stroke recovery.

Artificial intelligence software used in the NHS to help medics diagnose patients who’ve had a stroke faster has tripled the number of who go on to live normal lives, analysis suggests (stock image)

THE CAUSES OF STROKE

There are two major kinds of stroke:

1. ISCHEMIC STROKE

An ischemic stroke – which accounts for 80 per cent of strokes – occurs when there is a blockage in a blood vessel that prevents blood from reaching part of the brain.

2. HEMORRHAGIC STROKE

The more rare, a hemorrhagic stroke, occurs when a blood vessel bursts, flooding part of the brain with too much blood while depriving other areas of adequate blood supply.

It can be the result of an AVM, or arteriovenous malformation (an abnormal cluster of blood vessels), in the brain.

Thirty percent of subarachnoid hemorrhage sufferers die before reaching the hospital. A further 25 per cent die within 24 hours. And 40 per cent of survivors die within a week.

RISK FACTORS

Age, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, family history, and history of a previous stroke or TIA (a mini stroke) are all risk factors for having a stroke.

SYMPTOMS OF A STROKE

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing or blurred vision in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache with no known cause

OUTCOMES

Of the roughly three out of four people who survive a stroke, many will have life-long disabilities.

This includes difficulty walking, communicating, eating, and completing everyday tasks or chores.

TREATMENT

Both are potentially fatal, and patients require surgery or a drug called tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) within three hours to save them.

There are now plans to rollout the technology, which uses AI algorithms to support doctors interpret brain scans, across the country in a bid to boost outcomes for stroke patients.

It comes as the NHS revealed it is turning to AI to try and solve the bedblocking crisis, by using software that accurately predicts when patients will be ready to leave hospital.

Social care services can then be alerted in advance about the date when patients are expected to be discharged, allowing care home beds or community care packages to be prepared.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the technology by UK company Brainomax showed AI ‘has the potential to transform our NHS,’ helping to deliver faster and more accurate diagnoses.

He said: ‘Brainomix is an incredible example of how this can be achieved, using the power of AI to shave lifesaving minutes off one of the most time-sensitive diagnoses in medicine meaning patients get the treatment they need faster.’

Every year around 85,000 people suffer a stroke, with prompt diagnosis and treatment key to making a good recovery.

Blood supplying vital parts of the brain is interrupted, often the result of a clot blocking a major blood vessel in the head, although some strokes are caused by a bleed.

The longer a part of the brain is starved of blood, the more likely a patient is to suffer lasting damage – such as paralysis and speech problems.

The software means stroke specialists can access scans and images remotely so they can support other hospitals on Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks (ISDN).

It has so far been used on 111,000 suspected stroke patients at 22 hospital trusts across England and was found to cut average diagnosis to treatment time by an hour, from 140 to 79 minutes.

Dr Timothy Ferris, NHS England Director of Transformation, said: ‘Every minute saved during the initial hospital assessment of people with stroke-like symptoms can dramatically improve a patient’s chance of leaving hospital in good health.

‘The NHS is harnessing the potential that AI has to support expert staff in delivering life-changing care for patients with a range of needs, and through the AI in Health and Care awards we are testing, evaluating and supporting the most promising technologies which could transform the way we deliver care.’

The E-Stroke software is part of growing use of AI within the health service, with trials of software designed to improve unnecessary hospital stays being trialled at four sites in Wales.

Developed by the British AI company Faculty, it analyses data including age, medical conditions and previous hospital stays to estimate how long a patient will need to stay in hospital, The Times reports.

It is estimated the tool could save NHS trusts 3,000 bed days and £1.4 million a year by speeding up discharges, freeing up beds for other patients and reducing waiting lists.

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