The following is a summary of “Drones reduce the treatment-free interval in search and rescue operations with telemedical support – A randomized controlled trial,” published in the April 2023 issue of Emergency Medicine by Veelen, et al.

Responding to medical incidents can be challenging and delayed in mountainous areas due to the difficult terrain. Drones can assist in searching for patients and delivering medical equipment, leading to earlier treatment. For a study, researchers sought to assess the effects of drones in search and rescue (SAR) operations in challenging terrain. They hypothesized that using drones could reduce patients’ search time and treatment-free interval.

The randomized controlled experiment with a cross-over design examined two approaches to locating and starting treatment for a patient. The main result compared the standard ground-rescue control arm and the drone-assisted intervention arm regarding how quickly patients could be located through visual contact and treated on-site. In addition, the impact of a drone on search and treatment start times was assessed using a linear mixed model (LMM).

The study analyzed 24 SAR missions performed by 6 SAR teams with four team members each. The mean time to locate the patient was 14.6 minutes (95% CI 11.3–17.9) in the drone-assisted intervention arm and 20.6 minutes (95% CI 17.3–23.9) in the control arm. The mean time to start treatment was 15.7 minutes (95% CI 12.4–19.0) in the drone-assisted arm and 22.4 minutes (95% CI 19.1–25.7) in the control arm, with P < 0.01 for both comparisons.

Using drones in SAR operations in challenging terrain can reduce search time and treatment-free interval, leading to earlier treatment of patients. This can improve outcomes in patients suffering from traumatic injuries, the most commonly occurring incidents requiring mountain rescue operations.

Reference: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735675723000244