When minutes matter, drones carrying defibrillators could save lives in heart emergencies

MILWAUKEE — Autonomous flying drones could deliver life-saving defibrillators to people experiencing cardiac arrest, says a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who’s been involved in the research.

Ambulances aren’t always fast enough, especially in rural areas where an automated external defibrillator, or AED, isn’t available.

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses controlling the heart’s pumping action suddenly malfunction. The heartbeat becomes very irregular or stops, and without treatment, death can occur within minutes.