An Antibiotic Therapy Selector which Provides for Explanations

E x p e r i e n c e w i t h t h e MYCIN [ 1 ] t h e r a p y s e l e c t o r shows t h a t a c l e a n l y s t r u c t u r e d a l g o r i t h m makes p o s s i b l e a s i . -np le , b u t u s e f u l e x p l a n a t i o n c a p a b i l i t y . The a l g o r i t h m uses t h e g e n e r a t e and t e s t method t o s e l e c t a s m a l l s e t o f d r u g s f o r a d m i n i s t r a t i o n t o a p a t i e n t h a v i n g a n i n f e c t i o u s d i s e a s e . T r a c e s o f t h e a p p l i c a t i o n o f m e d i c a l s t r a t e g i e s a re l e f t b e h i n d f o r l a t e r s e l e c t i v e r e t r i e v a l and p r i n t i n g b y t h e e x p l a n a t i o n s y s t e m . These s t r a t e g i e s a r e r e a d i l y c o m p r e h e n s i b l e t o t h e u s e r o f t h e program because t h e y a r e based on e x i s t i n g c l i n i c a l r a t i o n a l e f o r s e l e c t i n g a n t i b i o t i c s ( a s opposed t o u s i n g a n e v a l u a t i o n p o l y n o m i a l , f o r e x a m p l e . ) The g e n e r a t e and t e s t a l g o r i t h m i s d e s c r i b e d as a s e r i e s o f s t e p s t h r o u g h w h i c h each recommended d r u g must p roceed s u c c e s s f u l l y :