Deployment, dispatch, and delivery: a scoping review of drone-delivered AED for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Frontiers in Public Health · 2026-01-01 · Scoping review
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) constitutes a significant global public health burden, and early defibrillation is essential for patient survival. However, traditional emergency medical services frequently struggle to achieve the requisite response times. Drone-delivered automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have emerged as an innovative intervention strategy to address this challenge. This scoping review aimed to systematically map the current evidence on drone-delivered AED systems for OHCA and identify knowledge gaps for future research. METHODS: Systematic searches were conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, CINAHL, and IEEE Xplore databases. Eligible studies were analyzed using an inductive coding approach, and findings were synthesized into a conceptual framework. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were included. Evidence was organized into a "3D Framework" comprising three operational dimensions: Deployment (where), Dispatch (when), and Delivery (how). Multi-rotor drone systems demonstrated preliminary operational readiness with high delivery success rates (81-100%) with no reported injuries or serious adverse safety events. Time advantages over conventional emergency medical services were context-dependent, with drones arriving first in 67-93% of rural cases versus 32% in urban settings. One successful case of drone-delivered AED defibrillation with patient survival has been documented. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence, predominantly from simulation studies, suggests that drone-delivered AED systems demonstrate preliminary technical feasibility and potential time advantages, particularly in rural and underserved areas. However, real-world clinical evidence remains limited, and findings should be interpreted with caution given language restrictions, study heterogeneity, and limited geographic and socioeconomic diversity of included studies. Further research is needed to validate these preliminary findings.
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Tags
Automated external defibrillator · Drones · Rural & remote · Time intervals · Urban
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