An artificial intelligence program to advise physicians regarding antimicrobial therapy

The first Mycin publication. An antimicrobial therapy consultation system has been developed which utilizes a flexible representation of knowledge. The novel design facilitates interactive advice-giving sessions with physicians. An ability to display reasons for making decisions at the request of the user permits the program to serve a tutorial as well as consultative role. The feasibility of the judgmental rule approach which the program uses has been demonstrated with a limited knowledge base of approximately 100 rules. Its ultimate success as a clinically useful tool depends upon acquisition of additional rules and thus upon co-operation of infectious disease experts willing to improve the program's knowledge base. The techniques for acquisition, representation, and utilization of knowledge, plus considerations of natural language processing, draw upon and contribute to current Artificial Intelligence research. Comput. Biomed. Res. 6:544-560.