Every year in the United States, more than 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest and fewer than 10% survive.
One of the biggest reasons: Time. When a heart stops, every minute without treatment reduces survival by about 10%.
“We’ve discovered that the first 5 minutes matter the most for survival,” said Dr. Monique Starks, with Duke University School of Medicine.
But despite decades of medical advances, the survival rate for cardiac arrest has changed very little.
Now, researchers at Duke Health are testing a first-of-its-kind, high-tech way to close that critical gap -- with drones.
The researchers are testing whether drones can deliver automated external defibrillators, or AEDS, more quickly than emergency crews can respond.
“If we can get treatment within 5 minutes for a patient with a shockable arrhythmia, survival can be about 50%,” Starks said.
And if an AED can be used within 2 to 3 minutes, survival rates rise to as high as 70%.
But in many communities, the average response time by ambulance is 7 to 12 minutes in urban areas and can exceed 20 minutes in rural areas. That’s where drones come in.
When a 911 call comes in, a drone is launched at the same time as EMS.
“Once they arrive, the drone flies at about 200 feet, it lowers to 100 feet, and then it winches the AED safely to the ground,” explained Starks.
The AED is lowered to the ground, and a 911 dispatcher guides a bystander on how to use it.
“The AED drone overview is probably one of the greatest things since sliced bread,” said Forsyth County (N.C.) Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, Jr. “I say that because it’s a whole nother level of patient care.”
The goal is simple: Get life-saving equipment into people’s hands faster than ever before.
“It’s not a bird, not a plane, no, it’s not Superman, but it’s a drone delivering an AED saving lives,” Kimbrough said.
The trial is currently taking place in Forsyth County, North Carolina, and James City County, Virginia. Results should be available in the summer of 2027.
Researchers hope these drones can deliver a life-saving defibrillator in less than 5 minutes to more than half the people in the study area.
If the study is successful, the life-saving technology could expand to communities across the country. The project is funded by the American Heart Association.