Drones could speed up getting defibrillators to people having cardiac arrests, study suggests
New research suggests that using drones to deliver automated external defibrillators (AEDs) could significantly improve survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. The study analyzed data from the Paris area to highlight the potential for faster emergency response times.
Why it matters
Integrating drone technology into emergency medical services could save thousands of lives by reducing the time to critical intervention.
Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of surviving a cardiac event by 10%. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of surviving a cardiac event by 10%. Heart attack Drones could speed up getting defibrillators to people having cardiac arrests, study suggests New research suggests the technology could be used to increase out-of-hospital access to life-saving devices
Prefer the Guardian on Google Drones could help cut the time it takes to get a defibrillator to people experiencing cardiac arrests when not in hospital, researchers have suggested.
In the UK alone, there are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests a year where emergency medical services attempt to resuscitate the individual, according to the British Heart Foundation. However, fewer than one in 10 people survive such an event, and some who do are left with neurological problems.
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