NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — AI technology is helping doctors at TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville save precious minutes when treating stroke patients.
"It's been estimated that a person loses about 2 million brain cells per minute if a stroke goes untreated," said Dr. John Witt, a stroke neurologist at TriStar Skyline Medical Center.
Witt has been treating stroke patients for decades and has witnessed significant changes in treatment approaches.
"I have been a neurologist for 35 years," Witt said. "A couple of decades ago, there was almost no standard treatment for stroke that was effective."
In addition to other developments, AI software is enhancing how CT scan images are interpreted at TriStar, providing critical information that might not be immediately visible to the human eye.
"What the AI piece does, it does calculations kind of underneath that, and lets us know when it suspects things that we might not be able to see visually at first glance," Witt said.
The technology also helps determine the severity of the stroke, guiding treatment decisions.
"It gives us a score, the score tells us how much risk the patient might be at for either treating or not treating them with the options that we have," Witt said.
Once the CT scan is completed, the AI-processed images are available within minutes, allowing doctors to determine the next steps and communicate effectively with families.
"It allows us to have conversations with the family that make it clear what needs to happen. We can show them certain images on occasion that will help them understand what is going on," said Dr. Marshall Hall, Department of Emergency Medicine Chair at TriStar Skyline Medical Center.
While Witt said the AI technology isn't perfect, combining AI with experienced medical professionals creates a powerful partnership.
"We leverage the strengths that AI has and the strengths that the human readers have. We try to bring those together in a way that optimizes the care," Witt said.
Do you have a story about medical technology and advancements in healthcare to share? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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