Emergency medicine

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Resuscitation

Biology

Drone

Medical emergency

Environmental health

Defibrillation

Genetics

Physics

Optics

Population

Internal medicine

Medicine

Automated external defibrillator

Incidence (geometry)

BackgroundEarly defibrillation is essential for increasing the chance of survival in out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA). Automated external defibrillator (AED)-equipped drones have a substantial potential to shorten times to defibrillation in OHCA patients. However, optimal locations for drone deployment are unknown. Our aims were to find areas of high incidence of OHCA on a national level for placement of AED-drones, and to quantify the number of drones needed to reach 50, 80, 90 and 100% of the target population within eight minutes.MethodsThis is a retrospective observational study of OHCAs reported to the Swedish Registry for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation between 2010–2018. Spatial analyses of optimal drone placement were performed using geographical information system (GIS)-analyses covering high-incidence areas (>100 OHCAs in 2010–2018) and response times.Results39,246 OHCAs were included. To reach all OHCAs in high-incidence areas with AEDs delivered by drone or ambulance within eight minutes, 61 drone systems would be needed, resulting in overall OHCA coverage of 58.2%, and median timesaving of 05:01 (min:sec) [IQR 03:22–06:19]. To reach 50% of the historically reported OHCAs in <8 min, 21 drone systems would be needed; for 80%, 366; for 90%, 784, and for 100%, 2408.ConclusionsAt a national level, GIS-analyses can identify high incidence areas of OHCA and serve as tools to quantify the need of AED-equipped drones. Use of only a small number of drone systems can increase national coverage of OHCA substantially. Prospective real-life studies are needed to evaluate theoretically optimized suggestions for drone placement.

National coverage of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests using automated external defibrillator-equipped drones — A geographical information system analysis