Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Sep 28;11(19):5744.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11195744.

The Role of Drones in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Scoping Review

Joseph Chun Liang Lim  1 , Nicole Loh  1 , Hsin Hui Lam  1 , Jin Wee Lee  2 , Nan Liu  2   3   4 , Jun Wei Yeo  1 , Andrew Fu Wah Ho  5   6
Affiliations

The Role of Drones in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Scoping Review

Joseph Chun Liang Lim et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Drones may be able to deliver automated external defibrillators (AEDs) directly to bystanders of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) events, improving survival outcomes by facilitating early defibrillation. We aimed to provide an overview of the available literature on the role and impact of drones in AED delivery in OHCA. We conducted this scoping review using the PRISMA-ScR and Arksey and O'Malley framework, and systematically searched five bibliographical databases (Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsychInfo and Scopus) from inception until 28 February 2022. After excluding duplicate articles, title/abstract screening followed by full text review was conducted by three independent authors. Data from the included articles were abstracted and analysed, with a focus on potential time savings of drone networks in delivering AEDs in OHCA, and factors that influence its implementation. Out of the 26 included studies, 23 conducted simulations or physical trials to optimise drone network configuration and evaluate time savings from drone delivery of AEDs, compared to the current emergency medical services (EMS), along with 1 prospective trial conducted in Sweden and 2 qualitative studies. Improvements in response times varied across the studies, with greater time savings in rural areas. However, emergency call to AED attachment time was not reduced in the sole prospective study and a South Korean study that accounted for weather and topography. With growing interest in drones and their potential use in AED delivery spurring new research in the field, our included studies demonstrate the potential advantages of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network implementation in controlled environments to deliver AEDs faster than current EMS. However, for these time savings to translate to reduced times to defibrillation and improvement in OHCA outcomes, careful evaluation and addressing of real-world delays, challenges, and barriers to drone use in AED delivery is required.

Keywords: automated external defibrillators; emergency medical services; out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; unmanned aerial devices.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. El Sibai R.H., Bachir R.H., El Sayed M.J. Seasonal variation in incidence and outcomes of out of hospital cardiac arrest: A retrospective national observational study in the United States. Medicine. 2021;100:e25643. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000025643. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chin Y.H., Yaow C.Y.L., Teoh S.E., Foo M.Z.Q., Luo N., Graves N., Ong M.E.H., Ho A.F.W. Long-term outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Resuscitation. 2021;171:15–29. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2021.12.026. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sasson C., Rogers M.A., Dahl J., Kellermann A.L. Predictors of survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Circ. Cardiovasc. Qual. Outcomes. 2010;3:63–81. doi: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.109.889576. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Weisfeldt M.L., Everson-Stewart S., Sitlani C., Rea T., Aufderheide T.P., Atkins D.L., Bigham B., Brooks S.C., Foerster C., Gray R., et al. Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias after Cardiac Arrest in Public versus at Home. N. Engl. J. Med. 2011;364:313–321. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1010663. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Berg K.M., Cheng A., Panchal A.R., Topjian A.A., Aziz K., Bhanji F., Bigham B.L., Hirsch K.G., Hoover A.V., Kurz M.C., et al. Part 7: Systems of Care: 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2020;142:S580–S604. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000899. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources