science
AI Health Tool Flags Blood Clot Symptoms Prompting Emergency Care
A man used a personal AI health tool built from his medical records to identify possible deep vein thrombosis after five days of calf pain. The tool recommended an ultrasound, leading him to seek emergency care where four clots were found.
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A personal AI health tool identified symptoms consistent with deep vein thrombosis after five days of worsening calf pain and swelling. The man had initially consulted a chiropractor for what he believed was a muscle spasm. When pain continued, he entered his medical records into an AI system he developed for personal use.
The tool flagged deep vein thrombosis and advised seeking an ultrasound scan. Primary care staff directed him to schedule an appointment or visit urgent care, but neither could provide the scan.
He went to an emergency room instead.
An ultrasound detected four blood clots in his left leg. Emergency physicians ordered imaging, reviewed results, and discharged him on blood thinners.
The AI did not replace medical judgment.
It surfaced a diagnostic step the patient pursued after standard channels did not offer immediate imaging. A study published in Science tested a large language model on clinical reasoning and found it more likely than physicians to list the correct diagnosis among options, according to Science News.
One in seven people in the UK use AI chatbots for medical advice instead of seeing a general practitioner, a Guardian report stated. The author said AI tools require regulation, testing, transparency, and clinical oversight before wider use in healthcare settings.
