In a U.S. First, Drones Deliver AEDs in North Carolina County

In a study led by Duke, drones dispatched for cardiac arrest calls in Forsyth County, N.C., alongside EMS could cut response times by up to 40 percent

A new Duke Health research project aims to reduce cardiac arrest response times by using drones to quickly deliver treatment devices.

Duke Health and partners in Forsyth County have launched a first-of-its-kind study in the U.S. to dispatch drones carrying automated external defibrillators – known as AEDs – during real 911 calls.

“Cardiac arrest is a dangerous heart condition due to an abnormal rhythm when the person becomes immediately unconscious. There’s only really 10 minutes to help that person survive,” said Duke Health cardiologist Dr. Monique Starks, the study lead.

The research laboratory is in the town of Clemmons, N.C., and surrounding areas, where the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office has already been using drone technology in law enforcement.

Without needing to adhere to traffic patterns, drones can fly unimpeded at 40 miles per hour.

How it works: When a 911 call comes in for cardiac arrest in Clemmons, a drone carrying an AED is launched immediately. At the same time, EMS is also deployed.

The 911 dispatcher coordinates with a drone pilot to fly the drone to the location of the cardiac arrest. Stark said that in their research they have been able to strategically position drones to lower response times from an average of 6 to 7 minutes to less than 4 minutes.

“The drone flies as the crow flies – straight — no traffic patterns, none of those things,” said Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough. Researchers hope this new program reduces response times and saves lives.

Starks and Kimbrough discussed the project with reporters on Wednesday in a virtual media briefing hosted by Duke. Here are excerpts:

Every Minute Matters

Monique Starks, Duke Health Cardiologist

“(Cardiac arrest is) incredibly time sensitive. The first three steps are largely in the hands of the bystander or the community member. That is recognizing cardiac arrest, calling 911, starting CPR immediately, and then getting an AED or an automated external defibrillator on the chest to shock the patient if they have a shockable arrhythmia or a shockable rhythm. It is that part of the chain that we are focusing on.”

“We know in the United States that it’s a patient can be shocked within two to five minutes, we could see survival of 50 to 70%, but we see survival of 10%, and that’s because we largely rely on first responders and EMS getting to the scene before an AED is available. In the United States currently, only 1 to 4% of cardiac arrest cases will have a bystander or community member apply an AED. And that’s because cardiac arrest largely occurs in the home. We want to change that dynamic. We want to get that AED to the bystander, so that they can rapidly shock a cardiac arrest patient to help them survive.”

Bobby Kimbrough, Forsyth County Sheriff

“Once the call goes in, the drone is launched to that location, the person is on the phone with a 911 operator, they're guiding them, letting them know what to do, what to expect. The drone is in flight with the AED attached. Minutes later, the drone appears in the sky -- not a bird, not a plane, not Superman — a drone and an AED.”

“There is conversation from start to finish with EMS and the 911 operators. The EMS is still coming. It’s just that the drone arrives, and when EMS gets there, they pick it up and keep moving. It’s just another layer of healthcare. EMS is not taken out of the loop. They’re still coming. It’s just that we’re coming by air and they’re coming by ground.”

Why Drones?

Monique Starks

“Drones don’t have to adhere to traffic patterns in the way first responders and EMS do. It flies unimpeded at 40 miles per hour and even faster.”

“We have done research to strategically position drones to lower response times from an average of 6 to 7 minutes to less than 4 minutes. And that is very important particularly in rural areas where response times can be 12 minutes.”

Bobby Kimbrough

“You’re going to save time in areas where it would take you 10 minutes in some cases, if you think about remote areas where drones fly as the crow flies.”

What is Being Studied?

Monique Starks

“What we are actually measuring is the ability of the drone to arrive prior to either a first responder or EMS. We’re estimating that the median time is about four minutes, and we’re also measuring whether we can actually increase those AED applications and use rates, as I mentioned earlier, from 1% to 2% to more than 30%.”

Equipping the Bystander

Monique Starks

“The real focus is on the bystander in equipping them to use this device when it arrives by drone. Our hope is that the drone consistently beats first responder or EMS and that it successfully delivers that AED and that the community is able to really get that device and bravely use it.”

Bobby Kimbrough

“The optimal success, to me, will be when we save a life. That will be the top of a pyramid.”

Read more about this project at Duke Health.