20 Noteworthy Medical Breakthroughs That Changed The Healthcare Industry

2. Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence was once a thing of science fiction. There are movies about robotic overlords capable of taking over an entire planet, which made… Trista - April 26, 2022

2. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence was once a thing of science fiction. There are movies about robotic overlords capable of taking over an entire planet, which made people a little afraid to adopt them. But over time, the medical field has recognized the importance of artificial intelligence and has implemented it into its practice. The most common applications include diagnosing patients or improving communication between the physician and the patient. They can transcribe medical documents like prescriptions. Plus, another benefit is remotely treating patients when a doctor is unavailable. Doctors also use artificial intelligence to classify skin cancers so that dermatologists can better treat their patients.

The implementation of artificial intelligence has made diagnosing and treatment of patients happen more quickly and effectively. Patients won’t have to endure a lengthy process of reaching a diagnosis. Instead, artificial intelligence can now narrow down symptoms, make it easier for physicians to spend more time on patients’ charts, and assist with any questions patients may have outside of the office hours. There is the hope that AI will be able to advance the healthcare sector in the future, though there are still many challenges to overcome.

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1. The Development of Antibiotics Is One of the Best Medical Breakthroughs

Most people take antibiotics for granted. Before researchers discovered them, biotic infections were quite prevalent, and people easily succumbed to them. Diseases and infections like rheumatic fever, gonorrhea, or pneumonia had no treatment, so that patients would die from them. It wasn’t until Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin and started putting it to good use in 1928 that people finally understood that they could actually live healthier lives. He examined his Petri dishes with colonies of Staphylococcus and found that one of the dishes was absent of bacteria where a spot of mold was growing.

Fleming later discovered that this mold was Penicillium notatum killed a wide range of harmful bacteria. He then got his assistants to help him isolate this mold and extract the penicillin. That way, he could use it for therapeutic purposes. Nine years later, it was then turned into a life-saving drug by a number of Oxford University colleagues. They worked on animals first through a series of clinical trials before they started implementing it with humans, using milk churns and bedpans to grow their cultures. Since discovering penicillin, experts have created hundreds of antibiotics to treat and counteract other bacterial infections and diseases.

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