North Carolina Town First in U.S. to Deploy Defibrillator Drones During Actual 911 Emergencies

During a 911 emergency, everyone is rightly expected to get out of the way of first responders driving to the scene. But these vehicles still need to follow roads, which most likely do not provide a straight shot to their destination. Traveling as the crow flies would be far more efficient—and that’s precisely the idea behind this remarkable drone-powered project.

A Duke Health project is using drones to deliver treatment devices during real medical emergencies in Clemmons, North Carolina. Described as a “first-of-its-kind study in the U.S.,†the drones carry automated external defibrillators (AEDs—devices used to re-establish an effectual heartbeat rhythm in individuals experiencing cardiac arrest) to bystanders before EMS (emergency medical services) can get there, with the goal of decreasing cardiac arrest response times.

Not Superman

“Once the call goes in, the drone is launched to that location, the person is on the phone with a 911 operator, they’re guiding them, letting them know what to do, what to expect. The drone is in flight with the AED attached. Minutes later, the drone appears in the sky—not a bird, not a plane, not Superman—a drone and an AED,†Bobby Kimbrough, Forsyth County Sheriff and a partner on the project, told reporters on Wednesday, as reported in a Duke University statement. “The EMS is still coming. It’s just that the drone arrives, and when EMS gets there, they pick it up and keep moving,†he added.

That’s what the study is hoping to measure, anyway. Monique Starks, Duke Health cardiologist and study lead, said that the estimated median time for the drone’s arrival is around four minutes, which would bring response times down from a 6- to 7-minute average. After all, drones don’t have to follow road routes. While 2 to 3 minutes might not sound like much, given that an individual experiencing cardiac arrest needs to receive help within 10 minutes, according to Starks, the difference could save lives, especially in rural areas where the response time can be even longer.

Empowering bystanders

“We know in the United States that it’s [if] a patient can be shocked within two to five minutes, we could see survival of 50 to 70%, but we see survival of 10%, and that’s because we largely rely on first responders and EMS getting to the scene before an AED is available,†Starks continued. “In the United States currently, only 1 to 4% of cardiac arrest cases will have a bystander or community member apply an AED,†because cardiac arrests mostly take place in people’s homes, she explained.

“We want to change that dynamic. We want to get that AED to the bystander, so that they can rapidly shock a cardiac arrest patient to help them survive,†she added. As such, the team is also tracking the potential increase in AED use rates. The ongoing study goes to show that while rapidly advancing technology is scary and carries enormous risk, it does also have the potential to save lives.