The role of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis, imaging, and treatment of thoracic empyema.

Purpose of review: The management of thoracic empyema is often complicated by diagnostic delays, recurrence, treatment failures and infections with antibiotic resistant bacteria. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, particularly in clinical decision support, imaging, and diagnostic microbiology raises great expectations in addressing these challenges.

Recent findings: Machine learning (ML) and AI models have been applied to CT scans and chest X-rays to identify and classify pleural effusions and empyema with greater accuracy. AI-based analyses can identify complex imaging features that are often missed by the human eye, improving diagnostic precision. AI-driven decision-support algorithms could reduce time to diagnosis, improve antibiotic stewardship, and enhance more precise and less invasive surgical therapy, significantly improving clinical outcomes and reducing inpatient hospital stays.

Summary: ML and AI can analyse large datasets and recognize complex patterns and thus have the potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy, preop planning for thoracic surgery, and optimize surgical treatment strategies, antibiotic therapy, antibiotic stewardship, monitoring complications, and long-term patient management outcomes.