By: Amy Norton
A good Samaritan can save the life of someone in cardiac arrest if a portable defibrillator is nearby. Now, a pilot study suggests a new way to get the devices into bystanders’ hands: drones.
The study, done in Sweden, found that drone delivery was a feasible way to get automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to the scene of a cardiac arrest. In fact, the drones typically beat ambulances by a couple of minutes.
Since those minutes can mean the difference between life and death, the early findings are encouraging, researchers said.
However, drone-delivered AEDs are far from prime time.
“This points to a non-traditional route for addressing a problem we’ve had for a long time,” said Dr. Jennifer Silva, a member of the American College of Cardiology’s Health Care Innovation Council.
“In general, I love the concept of using technological advances to improve the way we practice medicine,” said Silva, who was not involved in the study.
In this case, she said, the findings suggest it’s possible to deliver AEDs by drone. But the big question, Silva stressed, is whether that can ultimately make a difference in cardiac arrest victims’ outcomes.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart’s normal rhythm stops suddenly, making the muscle incapable of delivering blood and oxygen to the body. It causes unconsciousness within seconds and is fatal within minutes — unless a bystander performs chest compressions or uses an AED until paramedics arrive.
AEDs are portable versions of the defibrillators doctors use to “shock” the heart back into a normal rhythm. The devices automatically analyze a person’s heart rhythm to gauge whether a cardiac arrest is in progress.
“They are incredibly user-friendly,” Silva explained. “They literally talk you through the steps, and tell you when a shock should be delivered.”
