12-year-old girl develops a computer program which prevents dangerous reaction to medicines
A medical tablet may work on some individuals but it may have a negative reaction on others. Till now there was no way doctors could tell how the medicine will react in a particular individual but now thanks to a 12-year-old girl, they can.12-year-old girl from Knoxville Tennessee has devised a computer programme which could help doctors prevent a dangerous reaction to medicines. Sofia Tomov is one of the finalists in the 2016 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a prestigious science competition for middle school students.
Tomov’s
algorithm can be used by doctors as they screen patients to find out
whether a particular patient is reactive to medicines as part of their
routine medical care. The program’s purpose would be to identify any
genetic mutations which could trigger a dangerous or possibly fatal
reaction to prescribed drugs.
According to the latest figures adverse reaction to drugs is the fourth most common cause of death in the United States.Sofia, whose ambition is to get a doctorate in computer science and start her own company, admits that there is more work to be done before her initiative can be implemented.
“For patients in emergency situations such as a heart attack or a seizure, this is a huge health risk.”
This is not even Sofia’s first invention. She has already filed a provisional patent for a device to prevent disposed drugs entering the water supply.
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