Drone defibrillator delivery could cut wait times by 3.76 minutes

A French study found that adding drone delivery to existing AED networks around Paris could cut defibrillator wait times by an average of 3.76 minutes, reaching 95% of cardiac arrest patients within five minutes versus the current 30-40%. The simulation-based work was presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress 2026 in Paris.

• Drones cut defibrillator delivery times by an average of 3.76 minutes
• Five-minute coverage rises from 30-40% to 95%
• More AEDs and better placement could push coverage to 99.4%
• Drone range is about 3,900 meters; no real-world flights were conducted