Drones can capture breathtaking photos, patrol and monitor sensitive or dangerous areas, and deliver medical equipment or medication. One such use is to provide automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to help resuscitate cardiac arrest patients before they reach the hospital. A recent paper in Resuscitation Plus examines how drones help in this emergency response. Nine out of ten people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) die before being discharged from the hospital or within 30 days of the arrest. The chances of survival and of neurological recovery are doubled if bystanders can provide prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) to get the heart beating again. The issues with bystander AED defibrillation include not being able to find, access, and retrieve an AED from a public location. In an earlier study, only 5%- 22% of people knew where to find the nearest public AED. Many AEDs are difficult to reach (up to 59%), and only 3%- 25% of OHCAs occur in the vicinity of an AED. Drones could reduce the time required to get an AED to the OHCA patient compared to an ambulance. Drones are also user-friendly. The authors of the current study have already demonstrated these aspects in their earlier research.

Full research : A UK trial shows drones can deliver defibrillators faster than ambulances, but survival depends on better dispatcher guidance and bystander confidence in using the life-saving devices.