The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-26 · by Nicola Davis Science correspondent
Researchers suggest that drones could reduce response times for delivering defibrillators to people experiencing cardiac arrests outside of hospitals. In the UK, there are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually where emergency services attempt resuscitation, with fewer than one in ten survivors and some suffering neurological issues. A study by Matthieu Heidet and colleagues analyzed data from 28,349 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the Greater Paris area between 2011 and 2024, excluding central Paris. They found that only 30% of these cases occurred within a target distance of 500 meters from fixed automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The study concluded that using drones could significantly improve coverage; for instance, with 100 drone bases and 26 additional AEDs, more than 97% of cardiac arrest cases would be covered within a radius of about 4km.
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Story summary
Researchers suggest that drones could significantly reduce response times for delivering automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to people experiencing cardiac arrests outside hospitals. In the UK, there are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually where emergency medical services attempt resuscitation, but fewer than one in ten people survive such events, often leaving survivors with neurological issues. The key factor influencing survival rates is the rapidity of access to treatment; every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces survival chances by 10%.
Dr Matthieu Heidet from Henri-Mondor university hospital in Créteil, France, stated that emergency medical services aim to deliver AEDs as quickly as possible. The researchers found that only 30% of cardiac arrest cases occurred within the target 500-meter network distance of the nearest recorded fixed AED. This variability indicates a significant challenge in accessibility across different areas.
The study analyzed data from 28,349 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests between 2011 and 2024 in France, highlighting the potential benefits of using drones to enhance access to AEDs and improve survival rates.
Written for “Drones and Defibrillators” on 2026-10-05,
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Drones could help cut the time it takes to get a defibrillator to people experiencing cardiac arrests when not in hospital, researchers have suggested.
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researchers → help → hospital
In the UK alone, there are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests a year where emergency medical services attempt to resuscitate the individual, according to the British Heart Foundation.
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services → be → Foundation
However, fewer than one in 10 people survive such an event, and some who do are left with neurological problems.
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who → survive → problems
One important factor that can affect survival is how rapidly victims get access to treatment – every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by 10%.
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minute → affect → %
“We have an objective as EMS [emergency medical service] organisations and EMS physicians to help cardiac arrest patients get defibrillated as early as possible,” said Matthieu Heidet, a professor of emergency medicine at Henri-Mondor university hospital in Créteil, France.
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Heidet → have → Créteil
Work by Heidet and colleagues has suggested drones could be used to increase access to the life-saving devices.
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drones → suggest → devices
To explore the issue, the team analysed the number and location of 28,349 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that occurred between 2011 and 2024 in administrative areas within the Greater Paris area.
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that → explore → area
Central Paris was excluded from the analysis.
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Paris → exclude → analysis
The team cross-referenced these events with the location of fixed automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
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team → cros → defibrillators
The researchers found accessibility of the 1,893 AEDs varied considerably across the area.
“Only 30% of all [out-of-hospital cardiac arrest] cases occurred within the target 500-metre network distance of the nearest recorded fixed AED,” said Dr Hillary Minka, an emergency physician at the Lariboisière hospital in Paris and the first author of the work.
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Minka → find → work
The team found an extra 910 fixed AEDs would be needed for 84.5% of the recorded cardiac arrest cases to have been within 500 metres of an AED, while 1,712 extra fixed AEDs would be needed for 100% coverage.
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AEDs → find → coverage
However, by using drones operating within a radius of 3,900 metres, coverage could be increased with fewer devices.
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coverage → use → devices
“As drone bases were introduced, the number of additional fixed AEDs required fell substantially,” said Minka, noting that with 100 drone bases and 26 additional fixed AEDs, more than 97% of the cardiac arrest cases would have been located either within 500 metres of a fixed AED or within approximately 4km (2.5 miles) of a drone base.
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% → introduce → base
The use of 200 drone bases and just four extra AEDs meant more than 99% of cases would have been covered.
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% → mean → cases
The researchers also looked at the proportion of the cardiac arrest cases deemed close enough to an existing fixed AED that the device could be retrieved in a round trip within five minutes.
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device → look → minutes
The results revealed only 30-40% of the cardiac arrest cases had access to current fixed AEDs within this time period using the ground transportation network.
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% → reveal → network
Heidet added that this figure was optimistic.
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figure → add → ?
“In France, only 8% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients benefit from the application of a public AED before the arrival of the [emergency services],” he said, noting one factor is that a large proportion of AEDs are inaccessible, for example because they are housed in enclosed private spaces that are not open at all times.
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that → benefit → times
By contrast, Minka noted that in a scenario involving 200 drone bases, 871 existing fixed AED sites and four additional fixed AED sites, drone delivery reached virtually all of the cardiac arrest cases covered by the model within five minutes.
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delivery → note → minutes
The team’s models were based on drones being housed at sites ranging from current AED locations to fire stations and mobile intensive care units, and did not look at real-world deployment of such tech.
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drones → base → tech
Heidet noted it is not the first time drones have been considered for the delivery of AEDs; the approach is already being used in parts of Sweden and has saved lives.
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approach → note → lives
In real-world systems, Heidet added, drones are operated by trained drone pilots.
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drones → add → pilots
“Once an emergency call is received and an [out-of-hospital cardiac arrest] is identified at the dispatch centre, the drone is activated by EMS dispatchers.
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drone → receive → dispatchers
It then takes off and follows an automated flight path, while the final approach and subsequent AED delivery are handled by the drone pilot.
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approach → take → pilot
The entire process is conducted under the supervision of the emergency medical service,” he said.
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he → conduct → service
Once delivered, the AED can be used by members of the public at the scene.
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AED → deliver → scene
Heidet added the cost of drones needed to be integrated into the evaluation of such technology, noting there may be a balance between the ideal model and the feasible economic model.
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Heidet → add → model
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, is to be presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress in Paris on Saturday.
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which → review → Saturday
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