Can Artificial Intelligence be Used to Study Gut Microbes in Patients?
A new Journal of Internal Medicine article proposes that artificial intelligence tools, such as machine learning algorithms, have the potential for building predictive models for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases linked to imbalances in gut microbial communities, or microbiota.
The article focuses mainly on patients with cancer, who often undergo treatments that can cause profound alterations in the gut microbiota and potentially contribute to the development of complications.
Because research on the human microbiome is an emerging science and the application of artificial intelligence in medicine is in its infancy, it is important to consider ethical, legal, and social issues simultaneously with technical refinements required for applying these technologies to the clinic.
"Artificial intelligence algorithms have the potential to change the everyday medical practices and offer the prospect of identifying new associations not yet detected by humans, which will be very useful for better understanding the complexity of the human microbiota," said author Dr. J. Luis Espinoza, of the Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, in Japan.
Source: Wiley
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
