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The following is a summary of “Drones reduce the time to defibrillation in a highly visited non-urban area: A randomized simulation-based trial,” published in the December 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Veelen et al. 

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a global health concern with high mortality, and early defibrillation is crucial for improving survival rates.   

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the feasibility of autonomous drone delivery of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in non-urban areas with physical barriers and compared the time to defibrillation (TTD) with bystander retrieval from public access defibrillator (PAD) points and helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) physician-administered defibrillation.  

They organized a randomized simulation-based trial with a cross-over design, where bystanders retrieved AEDs through automated drone delivery or by walking to a PAD point, along with simulated HEMS interventions. The primary outcome measured was the TTD, while secondary outcomes included workload, perceived physical effort, and ease of use (as stated in brackets).  

The results showed 36 simulations were completed, TTD was significantly shorter with drone-delivered AEDs at 2.2 minutes (95% CI 2.0–2.3) compared to PAD retrieval at 12.4 minutes (95% CI 10.4–14.4) and HEMS interventions at 18.2 minutes (95% CI 17.1–19.2). vs PAD retrieval at 81 mm (65–99) (P = 0.02). The NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) showed a lower mean workload for drones at 4.3 (1.2–11.7) compared to PAD retrieval at 11.9 (5.5–14.5) (P = 0.018).  

Investigators concluded the use of drones for automated AED delivery in non-urban areas with physical barriers was feasible, resulting in faster defibrillation times and reduced responder workload and perceived physical exertion compared to traditional on-foot AED retrieval. 

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735675724004728