Acute cardiac care & resuscitation
Semi-autonomous drone delivering automated external defibrillators for real out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A Danish feasibility study
Authors' conclusion
This study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of drone-delivered AEDs to real OHCAs. Improved time to AED delivery was limited due to swift ambulance service, highlighting the importance of strategic AED drone placement.
Study context
- Population
- Suspected out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Aalborg, Denmark, June 2022 to April 2023suspected out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs), 49 during operating hours, 16 eligible for drone take-off
- Participants
- 76 arrests
- Exposure
- Drone-delivered automated external defibrillators (AEDs) vs ambulance response time
- Dronen = 16
- Outcome
- Drone take-off eligibility and AED delivery
Methodological detailsfeasibility study
- Feasibility study
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Suspected OHCAs during non-operating hours (nighttime)
- 27
- Of the remaining 49 OHCAs, eligible for drone take-off
- 16 (33%)
- Successful AED-delivery among eligible take-offs
- all
- Cancellations due to weather
- 14 (29%)
- Cancellations due to technical issues (dispatch centre, drone, or hangar problems)
- 13 (27%)
- Cancellations due to closed airspace
- 6 (12%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Drone | Ambulance |
|---|---|---|
| Response timeDrone: from activation to AED-delivery | median 04:47 (IQR 03:45-05:27) min | median 03:25 (IQR 02:43-04:14) min |
Drone-delivered AEDs attached
- No drone-delivered AEDs were attached
Safety
- Successful AED-delivery without any adverse events
Original publication
Semi-autonomous drone delivering automated external defibrillators for real out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A Danish feasibility study. Resuscitation. Published 15 February 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it