A study examining out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the Greater Paris area proposes that drones could improve access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and potentially save more lives. Researchers analyzed 28,349 cardiac arrest cases occurring between 2011 and 2024 and found that current fixed AED placement provides inadequate coverage across the region.
The analysis revealed that only 30% of recorded cardiac arrest cases occurred within 500 metres of an existing AED. Expanding coverage through fixed devices alone would require installing hundreds of additional units. However, the research indicated that drone-based delivery could substantially improve outcomes with fewer devices. According to the findings, deploying 200 drone bases with just four additional fixed AEDs would cover more than 99% of cardiac arrest cases, either within 500 metres of a fixed AED or within approximately 4 kilometres of a drone base.
Timing represents a critical factor in cardiac arrest survival, as every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces survival chances by 10%. Current ground-based systems reached only 30-40% of cardiac arrest cases within a five-minute round-trip window. In contrast, a model involving 200 drone bases achieved five-minute delivery coverage for virtually all cases examined. Researchers noted that accessibility challenges extend beyond equipment location, as a substantial proportion of AEDs remain inaccessible due to placement in private enclosed spaces with limited public access.
Drone-based defibrillator delivery is not entirely new, with systems already operating in parts of Sweden. Real-world deployment involves trained drone pilots who activate devices upon emergency dispatch and follow predetermined flight paths, with final delivery handled manually by operators. Researchers acknowledged that economic considerations must factor into implementation decisions and noted the study has not yet undergone peer review. The work is scheduled for presentation at the European Emergency Medicine Congress.
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