In the United Kingdom, the number of patients who show little or no sequelae after a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) has tripled thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), the British Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.

Developed by an Oxford-based company, the Brainomix e-Stroke system reduces diagnosis by more than an hour and allows the most appropriate treatment to be chosen quickly.

Its use, in 111,000 cases of suspected stroke, increased the rate of patients with no or mild disabilities from 16% to 48%.

The AI ​​provides decision-making support in the interpretation of brain scans, to allow the patient “to have the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time”, underlines the ministry.

More than 85,000 people in England have a stroke each year.

The Ministry of Health cites the example of Carol Wilson, teaching assistant and grandmother, who in June 2021 suffered from intense cramps and quickly lost her sight and the use of her limbs. The software made it possible to quickly diagnose a blood clot in the brain and to opt for a thrombectomy.

“I was able to sit up and text family the same day, and go home and walk again about two days after having a stroke,” she testified.

"Every minute saved during the initial in-hospital assessment of people with stroke symptoms dramatically improves a patient's chances of leaving hospital healthy," Dr. Timothy Ferris, director of transformation within the public health system (NHS).