Computers in biology and medicine
-
In implementing a clinical event monitor (CEM), a decision-support system, we worked with an existing repository of clinical data (Keystone), fed from ancillary systems using HL7. The rules are written in the Arden Syntax, an ASTM standard for expressing medical knowledge as medical logic modules (MLMs). ⋯ Overall, less than a quarter of the development effort has gone into the Arden compiler and interpreter; the rest has focused on accessing the data and integrating with other systems. We feel that the Arden Syntax has proved its worth in writing rules; effort should now be focused on medical vocabularies and data models.
-
We are developing a clinical workstation which integrates access to health maintenance guidelines with access to a computer-based medical record. In order to enhance the portability of such a system, we emphasize the use of open standards which can be used in diverse clinical environments. We discuss the use of relational database and expert system technology to provide both patient-specific and patient-independent access to clinical guidelines. We use the Arden Syntax as the format for a textual library which facilitates the storage of structured medical knowledge.
-
When developing a clinical decision support system that uses knowledge expressed in Arden Syntax, the availability of a robust means of translating Arden Syntax into an executable module becomes critical. This paper describes an approach where Arden Syntax is translated into an intermediate pseudo-Arden language that is in turn compiled and linked to create the executable module. The pseudo-Arden language is defined in C++ using specialized class libraries and preprocessor macros. This approach provides an alternative means of developing the code generator for an Arden Syntax compiler.
-
Comparative Study
Comparison of AR-based algorithms for respiratory sounds classification.
Respiratory sounds of pathological and healthy subjects were analyzed via autoregressive (AR) models with a view to construct a diagnostic aid based on auscultation. Using the AR vectors, two reference libraries, pathological and healthy, were built. ⋯ Performances of the classifiers were tested for different model orders. The best classification results were obtained for model order 6.
-
A pseudo steady-state model is proposed to analyze the effects of a vessel-length, blood-flow velocities, and the concentration levels of Va/Xa/phospholipid complex on the formation of thrombin in an arterial vessel. The outlet concentrations of thrombin are calculated in either physiological or pathological coagulation process. Among those factors, blood-flow velocity is the most important factor which affects the amount of thrombin formation. The model and its results might be used as a reference for those who clinically manage coagulation problems of patients with severe sepsis.