New AI tool could cut wasted efforts to transplant organs by 60%
Doctors have developed an AI tool that could reduce wasted efforts to transplant organs by 60%.Thousands of patients worldwide are waiting for a potentially life-saving donor, and more candidates are stuck on waiting lists than there are available organs.Recently, in cases where people need a liver transplant, access has been expanded by using donors who die after cardiac arrest.However, in about half of these donations after circulatory death (DCD) cases, the transplant ends up being cancelled.That is because the time between the removal of life support and death must not exceed 45 minutes.
If the donor does not die within the timeframe needed to preserve organ quality, surgeons often reject the liver because of the increased risk of complications to the recipient.Now doctors, scientists and researchers at Stanford University have developed a machine learning model that predicts whether a donor is likely to die within the timeframe during which their organs are viable for transplantation.The AI tool outperformed the judgment of top surgeons and reduced the rate of futile procurements – which occur when transplant preparations have begun but the donor dies too late – by 60%.“By identifying when an organ is likely to be useful before any preparations for surgery have started, this model could make the transplant process more efficient,” said Dr Kazunari Sasaki, a clinical professor of abdominal transplantation and senior author on the study.“It also has the potential to allow more candidates who need an organ transplant to receive one.
”Details of the breakthrough were published in the Lancet Digital Health journal.The advance could reduce the number of instances in which healthcare workers prepare organs for recovery, only to determine they are unsuitable for recovery and transplantation, putting financial and operational strain on transplant centres.Hospitals primarily rely on surgeons’ judgment to estimate this critical timeframe, which can vary widely and lead to unnecessary costs and wasted resources.The new AI tool was trained on data from more than 2,000 donors across several US transplant centres.It uses neurological, respiratory and circulatory data to predict a potential donor’s progression to death with greater accuracy than previous models and human experts.
Sign up to First EditionOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersafter newsletter promotionThe model was tested retrospectively and prospectively, achieving a 60% reduction in futile procurements compared with surgeons’ predictions.Importantly, it maintains accuracy even when some donor information is missing, researchers said.A reliable, data-driven tool could help healthcare staff make better decisions, optimising organ use and reducing wasted efforts and costs.The approach could be a significant step forward in transplantation, the research team said, highlighting “the potential for advanced AI techniques to optimise organ utilisation from DCD donors”.Next, they plan to vary the AI tool to trial it with heart and lung transplants.
UK hospitals bracing for once-in-a-decade flu surge this winter
Hospitals are bracing for a once-in-a-decade flu season, with a mutated version of the virus that is spreading widely in younger people expected to drive a wave of admissions when it reaches the elderly.The threat has prompted NHS managers to redouble efforts to vaccinate staff and communities, expand same-day emergency care and treat more patients in the community to reduce the need for hospital stays.As resident doctors in England continue a five-day strike over pay, hospitals are turning to contingency plans to bring in consultants and other staff for extra shifts and reschedule appointments where necessary.“Last flu season was particularly nasty and we’re very concerned that this year could be even worse,” said Elaine Clancy, the group chief nursing officer for St George’s, Epsom and St Helier university hospitals. “We’re preparing for a spike of flu on to our wards
Resident doctors begin five-day strike in latest walkout over pay
Thousands of resident doctors have begun strike action across England in a dispute over pay.The five-day action, which began at 7am on Friday, is the 13th walkout by doctors since March 2023 and health leaders have warned that the NHS may have to cut frontline staff and offer fewer appointments and operations if the strikes continue.The NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, which represent health trusts, said continued action was piling pressure on already-stretched budgets. The last industrial action in July was estimated to have cost the health service £300m.Patients would be forced to wait longer for care, and many may no longer be able to work without the treatment they needed, they said
New AI tool could cut wasted efforts to transplant organs by 60%
Doctors have developed an AI tool that could reduce wasted efforts to transplant organs by 60%.Thousands of patients worldwide are waiting for a potentially life-saving donor, and more candidates are stuck on waiting lists than there are available organs.Recently, in cases where people need a liver transplant, access has been expanded by using donors who die after cardiac arrest. However, in about half of these donations after circulatory death (DCD) cases, the transplant ends up being cancelled.That is because the time between the removal of life support and death must not exceed 45 minutes
Peers to mount fresh offensive to halt assisted dying bill
Peers will mount a new offensive to halt the assisted dying bill on Friday, tabling almost 1,000 new amendments to the legislation in an effort to run down the clock.More than half of the 942 amendments have been tabled by just seven members of the House of Lords, all of them vocal opponents of assisted dying (AD). A source close to the bill said it was possible it could in effect get filibustered if peers pushed many amendments to a vote.The bill – which began as a private member’s bill from Labour MP Kim Leadbeater – passed the House of Commons in June and is now in the House of Lords.On Thursday night, 65 peers including two cabinet secretaries, the former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and the former Tory leader Ruth Davidson warned that it would be anti-democratic for the Lords to kill the bill after it had been passed by a reasonable majority in the Commons
Hospital consultants gearing up to join resident doctors in striking over pay
Hospital consultants are gearing up to join resident doctors in striking over pay in a move that could cause huge disruption for the NHS and present ministers with a major new headache.In addition, resident doctors – who will tomorrow embark on their latest strike – have decided to adopt a more militant approach in pursuit of their 26% pay claim in which they strike every month, to put pressure on the government.In a hardening of their tactics, resident – formerly junior – doctors will stage a walkout every month in 2026 if, as they expect, they get a fresh legal mandate to continue their long-running campaign of industrial action. They went on strike 11 times in 15 months between March 2023 and June 2024 but only once since, in July this year.Thousands of them will take part in what will be the 13th strike of their campaign, starting at 7am on Friday and running until 7am on Wednesday 19 November
Steve Reed convenes Tower Hamlets envoys as concerns over council persist
The communities secretary, Steve Reed, has called a meeting with officials overseeing the running of Tower Hamlets council as concerns about the governance of the east London authority continue.Envoys were sent to Tower Hamlets after a team of government-commissioned inspectors published a report last November that uncovered a “toxic” and secretive culture dominated by the inner circle of the local mayor, Lutfur Rahman.It is understood Reed plans to meet the envoys to discuss their work so far, and to find out whether they think there has been sufficient change in the council and what else could be done.Rahman, a former Labour leader of the council, first became mayor in 2010 as an independent. He was removed from office in 2015 and banned for five years from standing for mayor after an election commissioner found him guilty of electoral fraud
China voices ‘extreme disappointment’ with Dutch minister at centre of car chip row
People in the US: how are your holiday shopping plans being affected by Trump’s tariffs and the cost of living?
Personal details of Tate galleries job applicants leaked online
AI firm claims it stopped Chinese state-sponsored cyber-attack campaign
Alexander Zverev v Felix Auger-Aliassime: ATP Finals tennis – live
Sean Bowen looks real McCoy at Cheltenham in emulating legend’s never-say-die ride