Rapid Response vs Code Blue?

Okay so I'm sure this is a silly question but it is really bugging me. But as they say "there is no such thing as a stupid question". I hope.

What is the difference between a Rapid Response and a Code Blue? I work on a tele floor now as a tech and there have been plenty of Codes and RR but I can't figure out the difference. I understand a code blue is when a patient has difficulty breathing, stops breathing, etc and I've been in situations where patients are unresponsive/pass out and they call rapid response. Also a nurse on the floor just the other day said to me, after a patient had "coded" and was transferred to ICU, "I called a code and it ended up turning into a rapid response". This confused me even more?

Is there a difference in the nurses responsibility in either a code blue vs rapid response?

I'd just like to clarify seeing as I will be taking NCLEX soon and working on the floor shortly after, and when I am presented with different situations I need to know what to call!

[offlabel]

This is an example of overthinking.

Some places the RR team is the same as the CB team. Some places the difference between RR an CB is a doctor responds.

A talking patient may need the CB team sometimes and an unresponsive patient may need the RR team sometimes.

Good discussion, but don't lets get carried away.

Know the diff? Call the right team. Don't? Ask, someone you trust and that person will make the call.

No big. We're all professionals here.

[core0]

We have a graded system that seems to work

1. Code sepsis - positive sepsis screen - an ICU nurse goes to the patient. Assesses and if septic can give fluid and get BC. Communicates with provider. If unable to reach provider can call ICU provider for more orders.

2. Code met - unexpected change in patient condition or deterioration from expected - ICU nurse, RT, hospital medicine, and nursing supervisor - either stabilize the patient or nursing supervisor arranges ICU bed

3. Anesthesia alert - patient needs to be intubated but is still awake - RT, Resident, anesthesiologist with drugs for intubation

4. Difficult airway alert - Known or difficult airway (ENT surgery/radiation/previous difficult airway) anesthesia, ent, surgery, airway cart from OR.

5. Code Blue - cardiac or respiratory arrest - anesthesia, ICU nurse, RT, ICU PA/NP, hospital medicine, nurse supervisor

Basically the code is called based on patient condition. We added the anesthesia and airway codes because people would call a code blue when someone needed to intubated. The presumption is that the patient does not require drugs because they are unconscious and getting CPR so anesthesia would show up without drugs.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I completely agree with Esme. If you think there's something wrong, call a RR. That's why they're there.

[Belle Epoque]

We have posters around that show criteria for RR - use it and call it.

[MunoRN, RN]

vincent paul said:

Hi everyone! This question bothers me, " If the patient is pulse less (for almost 4 minutes) Code blue is activated and CPR performed; Can I possibly measure the arterial blood pressure by palpation? or NO BP that can be measured?

Good quality CPR should produce a measurable systolic pressure. This can be difficult to read for a NIBP machine or manually due to interference from the CPR itself, but with an A-line in it's usually readable, I've had patients that we've managed to keep a systolic of greater than 80 throughout CPR. A Lucas device (thumper) has been show to be able to keep systolic greater than 100 for sustained periods of CPR.

[Jroebuck]

Yes this is a good question that I wish all nurses know the answer to I recently had a loved one on the telemetry floor that was very sick at the time and I asked for help on multiple occasions over a six hour period and I was told by the nurse each time that she was OK and three hours later she passed away and I had to let the nurse know that my love had passed away and then she called a code blue but it was too late.

[Nurse_JackieVA, BSN, RN]

Jroebuck said:

Yes this is a good question that I wish all nurses know the answer to I recently had a loved one on the telemetry floor that was very sick at the time and I asked for help on multiple occasions over a six hour period and I was told by the nurse each time that she was OK and three hours later she passed away and I had to let the nurse know that my love had passed away and then she called a code blue but it was too late

Just a question for clarification: a patient passed on a tele floor, while on the monitor, and no one noticed until you said something?

[Sugarcoma, RN]

I agree with Esme, don't get hung up on the words, just get help when you need it.

I respond to Rapids and codes and for each you will get an ICU rn, a doc, and an Rt. The only difference is a Crna will come to codes without being called.

One of the Swat rns at my first nursing job made it very simple for us to decide between the two. He said "I have ten minutes to respond to a rapid and three to a code, if you don't think your patient will last ten minutes, call a code."

[RandyRN1, RN]

Listen up, I'm a 25 years seasoned professional, MedSurg on the floor, I'll tell you right now this is a myth about rapid response, is a waste of time, only delays saving lives, call the damn code, don't wait for a second opinion it's stupid I've seen it done, and it's just political garbage. Saving the hospital money is what it's about, easy for a good nurse to see how silly a rapid responses is. Call the damn code patients first, damn the torpedoes.