AI IMPROVES STROKE DIAGNOSES

qathet General Hospital now has the capacity to assist the stroke care team at VGH, using new artificial intelligence technology that interprets CT scan results for suspected stroke patients.
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​The AI was developed by a Stanford University researcher and has been funded from Boehringer Ingelheim, which is a pharmaceutical company, through the VGH and UBC Foundation, as well as through The Powell River Hospital Foundation.
New artificial intelligence (AI) technology available at qathet General Hospital is helping hospital teams rapidly determine the type of strokes, to assess the severity of them, and guide treatment decisions.
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Dr. Samuel Yip, lead stroke neurologist at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), said stroke is one of the leading causes of disability in Canada, and there are treatments available such as intravenous thrombolysis, which when drugs injected into the patient dissolve blood clots to restore blood flow to the brain.

For some people afflicted with stroke, there is also a new treatment called endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), where medical teams deploy a catheter into the brain, where the blood clot is, to extract it, according to Yip. He said EVT is used with ischemic stroke, which typically happen in larger blood vessels.
“With the larger vessels, if we see a blockage, we can try to go in and remove it,” said Yip.
Patients who would benefit from EVT are selected based on imaging. qathet General Hospital has a CT scanner, which is the diagnostic tool used to identify strokes, and the AI analyzes the imaging.

“You have to be very experienced in looking at these images to be able to tell, but the AI tools help us figure out what areas are affected in a more qualitative way. So, based on the variety of parameters, we can make better decisions in selecting patients to be brought to VGH for EVT.   This AI tool really helps us in selecting the right patients. With stroke, time is of the essence. For every minute of delay in treatment, close to two million brain cells are lost," said Yip.

"qathet General Hospital, patients suspected of stroke will be brought to CT imaging, and once the imaging has taken place, AI will automatically transfer the information to the VGH team. The guideline is that the emergency department physician who suspects there is a stroke will call us and we can get on the imaging right away, take a look, then make decisions,” said Yip.

The AI software was installed in qathet General Hospital in the spring of 2025 and medical staff have been trained in its usage. He said he is pleased the technology exists.

Yip said the message is, when there is any sudden onset of weakness involving the face or the arms, slurring of speech, not being able to speak, or loss of vision, a 911 call and a visit to the hospital emergency department is a must. There is an important acronym called FAST, which stands for face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficultly and time to call 911, that people should remember.
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This article is provided from The Peak article on November 27, 2025 by Paul Galinski

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