Hong Kong Hospital Authority to Use AI in Combating Superbugs

According to Cointelegraph, Hong Kong's Hospital Authority (HKKA) plans to address the rise of two superbugs, vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Candida auris, using artificial intelligence (AI). The increase in these multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is attributed to the redistribution of resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years. Dr. Raymond Lai, the authority's chief infection control officer, explained that the allocation of isolation wards to COVID-19 patients left fewer wards available for those infected with MDROs. The pandemic also led to a significant increase in broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions, resulting in antibiotic resistance development within the superbugs. The antibiotic resistance rate of vancomycin-resistant enterococci rose from 0.22% in 2021 to 1.2% in 2023, with the number of patients carrying these microorganisms increasing from fewer than 40 in 2021 to around 140 by late September 2023. Candida auris, discovered in Hong Kong in 2019, also saw an increase in carriers, from nearly 200 in 2020 to over 300 by October 31, 2023. Dr. Lai warns that about 10% of individuals carrying this fungus may develop invasive infections, with a mortality risk ranging from 53% to 83.3%. To tackle this issue, HKKA will launch an AI pilot at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin and Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung in January 2024. The AI will analyze clinical data to determine the necessity of prescribing antibiotics, starting with a single popular type of antibiotic and then expanding to eight other types and 17 public hospitals. AI has previously been used to combat antibiotic resistance, as in May 2023, when AI helped MIT and McMaster University researchers identify a new antibiotic capable of killing Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacteria responsible for many drug-resistant infections.