JERUSALEM, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) prediction method to tailor antibiotic treatment for each patient, the northern Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) said on Thursday.
The new method is based on an algorithm developed by the Technion and KSM, the research and innovation institute of Maccabi Healthcare Services.
The algorithm recommends the doctor the most appropriate antibiotic treatment for the patient based on clinical guidelines and other parameters such as age, gender, pregnancy status, residence in a nursing home, and past diseases and antibiotics.
It has been shown to be effective in treating urinary tract infection (UTI), a common bacterial disease in which many cases the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics.
However, the use of the advanced tool in tens of thousands of Maccabi UTI patients has led to a 35 percent reduction in the need to change the type of antibiotic, as antibiotic matching was much more accurate, the Technion noted.
Following the success in UTI treatment, the new method is expected to be soon applied to other infectious diseases requiring personalized antibiotic treatments.
"The new algorithm is an important milestone in personalized medicine towards AI-based antibiotic therapies, which reduce the development of resistant bacteria," the researchers concluded. Enditem
