Preliminary Feasibility Study of a Simulated Overdose Antidote Delivered by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in an Urban Environment

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs; ‘drones’) deliver time-sensitive health care tools to out-of-hospital environments. Many emergency response systems struggle to deliver antidote to victims of opioid overdose before respiratory depression results in morbidity or mortality; thus, UAVs may play a useful role in antidote delivery for out-of-hospital toxicologic emergencies. We tested the feasibility of dropping simulated antidote from a UAV to a bystander in an urban environment, measuring accuracy of drop, ease of recovery, and antidote survivability. A minimum flight altitude of 40m avoided any obstacles to accurately fly to specific coordinates. Simulated antidote drifted an average of 48 feet from the intended target, was discoverable on the ground, and survived the drop. These findings imply that UAV-dropped antidote may be a potential tool in emergency response to opioid overdose. Future research should focus on mechanisms for UAV integration within existing opioid overdose emergency response systems, human-UAV interactions, and payload design.