Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have conducted a groundbreaking study demonstrating the efficacy of using drones equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED) in responding to suspected cardiac arrests. The study, titled "Drone delivery of automated external defibrillators compared with ambulance arrival in real-life suspected out-of-hospital cardiac arrests: a prospective observational study in Sweden," has been published in The Lancet Digital Health.
In over half of the cases analyzed, drones equipped with AEDs arrived at the scene an average of three minutes ahead of traditional ambulances. The study, conducted in Sweden, revealed that when patients were experiencing cardiac arrest, the drone-delivered defibrillators were used in the majority of cases.
Andreas Claesson, Associate Professor at the Center for Cardiac Arrest Research at the Department of Clinical Research and Education, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, and principal investigator of the study, emphasized the critical role of AEDs in saving lives. He stated, "The use of an AED is the single most important factor in saving lives. We have been deploying drones equipped with AED since the summer of 2020 and show in this follow-up study that drones can arrive at the scene before an ambulance by several minutes."
Approximately 6,000 people in Sweden experience sudden cardiac arrests each year, with only a fraction surviving. Early defibrillation with an AED significantly increases the chances of survival. Despite the widespread availability of AEDs in the community, they are not readily accessible in people's homes, where a significant number of cardiac arrests occur.
To address this issue, Karolinska Institutet, in collaboration with Region Västra Götaland, SOS Alarm, and drone operator Everdrone, initiated a project in 2020 to test the simultaneous dispatch of drones and ambulances equipped with AEDs. The study covered an area of approximately 200,000 people in western Sweden and demonstrated the feasibility and safety of the concept in various conditions, including summer and winter, and in both daylight and darkness.
The comprehensive follow-up study revealed that drones could consistently deliver AEDs before ambulances arrived at the scene, giving individuals on-site crucial minutes to initiate potentially life-saving interventions. In 55 cases of suspected cardiac arrest, drones delivered AEDs before ambulances in 67% of instances, with a median lead time of three minutes and 14 seconds. In cases of actual cardiac arrest, callers managed to use the AED in 33% of instances, leading to a recommended shock in two cases and one instance of patient survival.
The study provides compelling evidence that deploying drones equipped with AEDs can significantly reduce response times and enhance the chances of survival in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.
