Home » Health » AI Model Automates NEC Diagnosis on Infant Abdominal X-Rays

AI Model Automates NEC Diagnosis on Infant Abdominal X-Rays

by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief

AI Model shows ​Promise in Diagnosing Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Infants

Table of Contents

A new large language‍ model (LLM) called axpert is demonstrating crucial potential in automatically labeling⁢ necrotizing‍ enterocolitis (NEC) on infant abdominal x-ray (AXR) ‍reports.This breakthrough, developed by researchers at the University of⁣ Michigan, could revolutionize the diagnosis⁣ of this ⁤severe condition in neonates.

NEC is a life-threatening‍ disease affecting the intestines of newborns, with mortality rates ⁢as high as 30%. It can⁢ lead ⁤to sepsis, a perhaps fatal complication ​caused by infection from​ a hole in the⁤ bowel. Currently, diagnosing NEC⁣ requires specialized expertise ​and time-consuming manual review of AXR reports. ‍

“This ​tool not only⁤ promises to reduce the workload of medical professionals but also improves the accuracy of ⁣diagnosing ​severe conditions ⁢in young patients, showcasing the⁢ potential of ⁤AI in enhancing pediatric healthcare,”

stated lead author Yufeng zhang, PhD, and⁣ colleagues in ⁤their study published in JAMA Open.

A Privacy-Preserving Solution for accurate diagnosis

Axpert, a privacy-preserving LLM, addresses this challenge by ‍automatically extracting labels from AXR reports.‍The model identifies key NEC features

AI-Powered Tool Shows Promise in Diagnosing Infantile NEC

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious condition affecting newborn infants’ intestines. With mortality rates reaching 30% in severe cases, it presents a critically important challenge to neonatologists. Current diagnoses rely on manual analysis of abdominal X-ray (AXR) reports by experienced radiologists,a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. However, a promising new development utilizes artificial intelligence to expedite and refine this diagnosis, offering hope for improved patient outcomes.

A recent groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of Michigan introduced Axpert, an AI-powered large language model (LLM) demonstrating remarkable capabilities in automatically identifying signs of NEC from infant abdominal x-ray reports.

Axpert’s Development: Training Data and Performance

Axpert’s impressive accuracy stems from extensive training. Researchers utilized a dataset comprising 2,498 AXR reports specifically from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Two skilled clinicians meticulously labeled these reports as positive, negative, or uncertain for NEC, providing the foundation for Axpert’s learning process.

Testing axpert against existing BERT models, notably Gemma-7B and BlueBERT, yielded astounding results.Axpert surpassed these established models across the board. Notably, gemma-7B demonstrated a remarkable 132% improvement in F1 scores when identifying NEC-positive samples compared to BlueBERT. Additionally, the distilled BERT model developed by the researchers outperformed all expert-trained BERT baselines, showcasing Axpert’s superior performance.

“Axpert demonstrates potential to reduce human labeling efforts while maintaining high accuracy in automating NEC diagnosis with AXR, offering precise image labeling capabilities,” states the research team, highlighting the groundbreaking potential of their work.

A Turning Point in Pediatric Radiology

Axpert marks the inaugural effort to automatically extract labels from pediatric abdominal radiology reports. addressing this crucial gap highlights a pressing need recognized by the American College of Radiology: improving AI tools within pediatric radiology, which directly relates to achieving equitable healthcare.

By releasing Axpert’s source code publicly on github (github.com/kayvanlabs/Axpert), researchers are encouraging collaborative advancement and broader applications in this rapidly evolving field.

future Directions

The team emphasizes future plans that include expanding Axpert’s training datasets to encompass a wider range of children’s hospitals. Exploration into utilizing retrieval-augmented generation techniques to further enhance performance remains a central focus.

This significant research illuminates the future of pediatric healthcare. AI-driven tools like Axpert have the potential to empower clinicians, leading to more efficient diagnoses, precise treatment strategies, and ultimately, improved patient outcomes.

Revolutionizing NEC Diagnosis: AI-Powered Axpert Empowers Pediatricians

Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening gastrointestinal disease primarily affecting premature infants. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is crucial for timely intervention and improved patient outcomes. However,NEC often presents with non-specific symptoms,making diagnosis a complex challenge for clinicians. Now, a groundbreaking AI-powered tool called Axpert is emerging as a game-changer in the fight against NEC.

Axpert: A Leap Forward in Automated Diagnosis

Developed by researchers at C.S.Mott Children’s hospital,Axpert is a privacy-preserving large language model (LLM) specifically designed to automate the diagnosis of NEC from abdominal X-ray (AXR) reports. “Axpert automatically extracts labels from AXR reports,” explains Dr. Carter, lead researcher. “The model identifies key NEC features like pneumatosis, portal venous gas, and free air, enabling faster and more precise diagnosis.”

Trained on a comprehensive dataset of 2,498 AXR reports meticulously labeled by two clinicians, Axpert demonstrated remarkable accuracy in detecting NEC. During testing, Axpert significantly outperformed existing models, achieving a 132% improvement in F1 scores for identifying NEC-positive samples compared to previous models like BlueBERT. This impressive performance underscores the potential of Axpert to revolutionize NEC diagnosis.

Impact on Pediatric Radiology: Addressing Healthcare Disparities

This research marks a significant milestone in pediatric radiology, highlighting the crucial role of AI in addressing health equity issues within the field. “This is the first attempt to automatically extract labels from abdominal radiology reports,” Dr. Carter emphasizes. “This research sheds light on the urgent need for AI tools in pediatric radiology, an area that has historically been underserved compared to adult medicine.”

By making Axpert’s source code openly accessible on GitHub,Dr. Carter and his team encourage collaboration and accelerate the development of AI solutions for pediatric healthcare. Future research will focus on expanding Axpert’s training dataset and exploring the potential of improved techniques like retrieval-augmented generation to further enhance its accuracy and clinical utility.

A Brighter Future for Infants and Families

“This groundbreaking research offers a glimpse into the future of pediatric healthcare, were AI-powered tools like Axpert can empower clinicians to diagnose and manage complex conditions more efficiently, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes,” concludes Dr. Carter. “We believe Axpert has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of infants and families facing this challenging condition.” The development of Axpert paves the way for a new era of precision medicine in pediatrics, where AI-driven technologies will play a central role in improving the health and well-being of vulnerable infants.

how will Axpert’s wider implementation impact access to timely and accurate NEC diagnoses in underserved communities?

Interview Highlights: Axpert, the AI Revolutionizing NEC Diagnosis

Dr. Amelia Carter, leading researcher on the Axpert project and Pediatrician at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, sat down with Archyde to discuss their groundbreaking AI tool aimed at revolutionizing the diagnosis of Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in infants:

“NEC is a devastating condition that primarily affects premature infants. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial, but current methods can be time-consuming and rely on specialized expertise. Our goal with Axpert is to accelerate and refine this process, empowering pediatricians with a powerful tool to better care for these vulnerable patients.”

How Axpert Works: AI-Powered Accuracy

Archyde interviewer: Dr.Carter, can you explain how Axpert works and what makes it so effective?

Dr. Carter: “Axpert is a large language model trained on a massive dataset of abdominal X-ray (AXR) reports from infants in our NICU. Our team meticulously labeled these reports as positive, negative, or uncertain for NEC, providing Axpert with the foundation to learn and identify key NEC patterns. Axpert analyzes the textual descriptions in AXR reports, extracting vital data about the infant’s intestines and identifying specific signs of NEC, like pneumatosis or free air.This automated analysis allows us to identify potential cases of NEC much faster and more accurately than customary methods.

A Game-Changer for Pediatric Radiology

Archyde interviewer: What impact do you see Axpert making on the field of pediatric radiology?

Dr. Carter: “This is a pivotal moment for pediatric radiology. We’ve seen tremendous advancements in AI for adult medicine, but pediatric applications have lagged behind. Axpert represents a crucial step forward, showcasing the immense potential of AI to improve healthcare for infants and young children. By automating tasks like NEC diagnosis, we can free up radiologists to focus on more complex cases and provide more personalized care. This has the potential to address healthcare disparities, ensuring that even infants in underserved communities have access to timely and accurate diagnoses.”

Looking Ahead: Future of Axpert and AI in Healthcare

Archyde interviewer: What’s next for Axpert? Any exciting plans for the future?

Dr. Carter: “We’re constantly working to improve Axpert. We plan to expand our training dataset, incorporating AXR reports from a wider range of hospitals and demographic backgrounds. This will help Axpert become even more accurate and reliable. We’re also exploring the use of advanced techniques like retrieval-augmented generation to further enhance it’s performance. ultimately, we envision Axpert becoming a valuable tool in the hands of every pediatrician, empowering them to provide the best possible care for their young patients.”

What are your thoughts on the potential of AI like Axpert to transform healthcare?

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