Optimizing artificial intelligence in sepsis management: Opportunities in the present and looking closely to the future

Abstract

Sepsis remains a major challenge internationally for healthcare systems. Its incidence is rising due to poor public awareness and delays in its recognition and subsequent management. In sepsis, mortality increases with every hour left untreated. Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming worldwide healthcare delivery at present. This review has outlined how AI can augment strategies to address this global disease burden. AI and machine learning (ML) algorithms can analyze vast quantities of increasingly complex clinical datasets from electronic medical records to assist clinicians in diagnosing and treating sepsis earlier than traditional methods. Our review highlights how these models can predict the risk of sepsis and organ failure even before it occurs. This gives providers additional time to plan and execute treatment plans, thereby avoiding increasing complications associated with delayed diagnosis of sepsis. The potential for cost savings with AI implementation is also discussed, including improving workflow efficiencies, reducing administrative costs, and improving healthcare outcomes. Despite these advantages, clinicians have been slow to adopt AI into clinical practice. Some of the limitations posed by AI solutions include the lack of diverse data sets for model building so that they are widely applicable for routine clinical use. Furthermore, the subsequent algorithms are often based on complex mathematics leading to clinician hesitancy to embrace such technologies. Finally, we highlight the need for robust political and regulatory frameworks in this area to achieve the trust and approval of clinicians and patients to implement this transformational technology.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Critical care; Data science; Intensive care unit (ICU); Machine learning; Sepsis.