Drone Delivered Defibrillators

Defibrillators were a break-through for treating heart attacks. Their delivery has been improved. They were invented in 1930, and have been improving since then. They are now so widespread that businesses and organizations have them available and automated so non-professionals have a chance to use them to save a life. Trained professionals are preferred, but sometimes they aren’t readily available. In one real-world test, in two-thirds of the cases (37 out of 55), drones have delivered automated defibrillators faster than the professionals arriving conventionally. Emergency dispatch can dispatch conventionally to ambulances and aid units, and at the same time dispatch a drone. The drone gets the benefits of straight-line flight and no traffic, but with the hurdles of flying, like bad weather. The aid units still arrive on scene promptly, but the drones frequently arrived three minutes earlier. In treating heart attacks, even minute matters. There’s a greater advantage in places that aren’t readily accessible, like farm fields, mines, and the great outdoors. The sample size was relatively small, but five drones operated over an area of over 194 square kilometers. Drone delivered automated defibrillators have the potential to save many lives.