Loss of "Smell": An AI Side-Effect

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I was working in the ER, and I saw a patient with abdominal pain who had been referred by a telemedicine provider. The patient was very distraught because she had been told that she could have a life-threatening infection in her abdomen, and she was tearful about it.

Usually before seeing patients, I perform a “chart biopsy,” gathering some basic information from the chart on their medical history as represented in the electronic record. In this case, I could see a note from earlier today by the telemedicine provider. It was very well written, organized, and made a compelling case that the patient could have SBP, or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, a feared complication of liver failure where bacteria from the gut infect ascitic fluid, or extra fluid around the bowels caused by liver dysfunction. I could see that this patient did have a history of liver disease, so I was immediately concerned, and began thinking through the next steps I would take, including performing diagnostic paracentesis, a procedure where a needle is introduced into the abdomen to sample the fluid to detect any infection.

Healthcare on Scott Gilmore, MD

Loss of "Smell": An AI Side-Effect