Johnson Anna M, Cunningham Christopher J, Arnold Evan, Rosamond Wayne D, Zègre-Hemsey Jessica K
Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA.
Open Access Emerg Med. 2021 Nov 16;13:487-498. doi: 10.2147/OAEM.S247020. eCollection 2021.
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles or "drones" has expanded in the last decade, as their technology has become more sophisticated, and costs have decreased. They are now used routinely in farming, environmental surveillance, public safety, commercial product delivery, recreation, and other applications. Health-related applications are only recently becoming more widely explored and accepted. The use of drone technology in emergency medicine is especially promising given the need for a rapid response to enhance patient outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to describe some of the main current and expanding applications of drone technology in emergency medicine and to describe challenges and future opportunities. Current applications being studied include delivery of defibrillators in response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, blood and blood products in response to trauma, and rescue medications. Drones are also being studied and actively used in emergency response to search and rescue operations as well as disaster and mass casualty events. Current challenges to expanding their use in emergency medicine and emergency medical system (EMS) include regulation, safety, flying conditions, concerns about privacy, consent, and confidentiality, and details surrounding the development, operation, and maintenance of a medical drone network. Future research is needed to better understand end user perceptions and acceptance. Continued technical advances are needed to increase payload capacities, increase flying distances, and integrate drone networks into existing 9-1-1 and EMS systems. Drones are a promising technology for improving patient survival, outcomes, and quality of life, particularly for those in areas that are remote or that lack funds or infrastructure. Their cost savings compared with ground transportation alone, speed, and convenience make them particularly applicable in the field of emergency medicine. Research to date suggests that use of drones in emergency medicine is feasible, will be accepted by the public, is cost-effective, and has broad application.
在过去十年中，无人驾驶飞行器（即“无人机”）的使用范围不断扩大，因为其技术日益成熟，成本也在降低。如今，无人机已被广泛应用于农业、环境监测、公共安全、商业产品配送、娱乐及其他领域。与健康相关的应用直到最近才得到更广泛的探索和认可。鉴于需要快速响应以改善患者治疗效果，无人机技术在急诊医学中的应用前景尤为广阔。本文旨在描述无人机技术在急诊医学中当前的一些主要应用及不断拓展的应用领域，并阐述其中面临的挑战和未来机遇。目前正在研究的应用包括在院外心脏骤停时运送除颤器、在创伤情况下运送血液及血液制品以及救援药物。无人机也正在被研究并积极应用于应急响应中的搜索救援行动以及灾害和大规模伤亡事件。目前，在急诊医学和紧急医疗系统（EMS）中扩大无人机使用面临的挑战包括监管、安全、飞行条件、对隐私、同意和保密的担忧，以及围绕医疗无人机网络的开发、运营和维护的细节。未来需要开展研究，以更好地了解最终用户的认知和接受程度。还需要持续的技术进步，以提高payload capacities（此处原文有误，可能是payload capabilities，即有效载荷能力）、增加飞行距离，并将无人机网络集成到现有的911和EMS系统中。无人机是一种有前景的技术，可改善患者的生存率、治疗效果和生活质量，特别是对于那些地处偏远或缺乏资金或基础设施的地区的患者。与仅使用地面运输相比，无人机节省成本、速度快且方便，使其特别适用于急诊医学领域。迄今为止的研究表明，在急诊医学中使用无人机是可行的，会被公众接受，具有成本效益，且应用广泛。
