Code Red/Code Blue/Code whatever....what do you have/what are they for?

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

Seeing the thread about Code Pink's for rude docs, and others mentioning Code Pink meaning peds cardiac arrest, made me think about the diff Codes we have.

Different Codes:

Code Blue-adult cardiac or resp arrest

Code Kinder -peds cardiac/resp arrest

Code Secure -violent/aggressive pt/family-need security asap

Code Red -fire

Code Lindbergh -abducted infant/child

Types of "alerts":

trauma alert -a trauma coming in (we are a level 1 trauma center)

gold alert -multi system unstable trauma

heart alert -someone comes in who may need the cath lab asap

There are others for bomb threat, natural disaster, etc. Those are the ones we actually hear occasionally.

[suzanne4, RN]

Code Pink is usually a possilbe kidnapped infant or child

Code RED or Dr. Firestone is for fires

Code Blue is for codes

Code Green is call for security issues for disruptive patients

Code Yellow- disaster in the area, such as tornado or when hospital is placed on lockdown because of weather

These are the Basics at most facilities

[ak47m203]

i knew one hospital their arrest code is meydey meydey. like an airplane.

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

i knew one hospital their arrest code is meydey meydey. like an airplane.

SO they say "mayday, Room 880. Mayday room 880" that sounds...bad, lol. but funny, also. I mean, everyone knows what code blue means, but to hear mayday over the intercom, lol.

[suzanne4, RN]

i knew one hospital their arrest code is meydey meydey. like an airplane.

Where is rp?

[danigirl58]

here are the codes for majority of the hospitals in my city. i must say that i didn't know there were so many different types of codes until i started typing them. sadly enough we receive a laminated card that goes with our hospital id ..... when ever i have heard one that i was like huh i just looked it up :)

code 25 is respiratory distress

code blue is cardio-pulmonary arrest

code white violent incident

code red fire

code black bomb threat/search

code orange external danger

code green evacuation of facility

code pink abduction

code grey external air contamination

code yellow missing patient

code brown internal chemical spill

[Geeg]

I have always used Code Brown to refer to incontinence of stool. Honest.

[bethin]

I'm surprised that hospitals still use Code Blue for a cardiac arrest. I was told that since the public knows what that means it can cause chaos. Imagine a bunch of nosy people showing up at a room to watch a code. I guess it happened too many times so they changed it. We use Code 99 for a cardiac/resp. arrest.

[GraceRN1]

Seeing the thread about Code Pink's for rude docs, and others mentioning Code Pink meaning peds cardiac arrest, made me think about the diff Codes we have.

We have

Code Blue-adult cardiac or resp arrest

Code Kinder-peds cardiac/resp arrest

Code Secure-violent/aggressive pt/family-need security asap

Code Red-fire

Code Lindbergh-abducted infant/child

then, there are "alerts"

trauma alert-a trauma coming in (we are a level 1 trauma center)

gold alert-multi system unstable trauma

heart alert-someone comes in who may need the cath lab asap

We only use 2 codes. code BLUE- a pt is on arrest, and code RED- more than 1 pts on arrest.

[Undecided7]

All the hospitals in my area use "code 99" instead of code blue- but I think everyone knows what that means anyway, like "code Red" or "Dr. Red". "Dr. Rush" is for a security problem. Anytime there is a loud announcement over the PA at 3am and it's repeated 3 times and then it's announced, "Dr. Red is now code green"- people know it's not a REAL doctor. The room numbers are NOT announced however- only the unit and then staff are directed once they get there (or follow the crowd). I've only seen neighboring patients hanging around in his/her doorway to get a peek but they are quickly told to go back to their rooms. I would not hesistate to call security if another patient was interfering with a "code" or loitering in the area- it's a violation of HIPPA and a general distraction. So far I haven't seen that but I do work nights so there are less people up and about.

The bottom line is I don't think it matters what the codes are called- as long as the STAFF know what they mean (and sometimes they don't)

(What is a code orange again??-- I know I learned in orientation 5 years ago...)

[hhrhrn41, RN]

Here are ours.....

Dr. Stat...... for a non-lifethreatening situation, such as a patient or family fall

Dr. GYAT (an old time doctor came up with this which stands for "Get Your -SS There") ... for a cardiac arrest/resp arrest

Dr. CARE....for a violent patient or family member

Code Elvis.....for a patient that has escaped off the unit

Code Yellow....for a natural disaster that has hit the building

To access the above codes and employee has to dial 7777 from any phone and announce the paticular code two times over the PA system. ex...Dr.Gyat room 305A, Dr.Gyat room 305A. But before you announce the code, after dialing the sevens, these god awful tones go off throughout the building.

[thumperRN]

Condition Blue - cardiac or resp arrest (or simply if you want to get some help STAT!!)

Condition Purple - violent situation

Conditoin Rainbow - abducted child

Condition Red - fire

Condition White - Bioterrorism

Condition Yellow - disaster