what does code mean?

I am considering this field as a career I have been surfing the thread an I have come across the term code.

Does this mean a person is dying?

Is there an emergency button that a nurse would push to inform a doctor or a senior that a pt is in trouble?

A "code" is a way of referring to a cardiac or respiratory arrest.

Yea, some hospitals actually do have a button in the pt's room for codes.

Thank you.

Although it means an arrest if someone says "patient X coded," "code" is really shorthand for "pay attention: important information" when it's announced over the PA, as there are a few kinds of code.

Here (Victoria) we have: yellow (an internal emergency, like a flood or power failure), brown (an external disaster, like a plane going down), purple (arson or bomb threat), red (confirmed is a fire, stand-by is smoke but no flames), orange (evacuation), grey (agression or threatening behaviour), black (hold-up or assault, not usually announced over the PA), and finally blue.

Although a code blue can mean cardio-respiratory failure, it refers to any medical emergency. Now that my hospital has instituted a Medical Emergency Team protocol, MET calls are made for a variety of conditions (resp rate 8, SaO2 130, SBP

The MET team includes an anaesthetist, ICU reg and RN, med reg, the unit reg/resident or cover, and the clinical coordinator, as well as an orderly. It's hospital policy that anyone can call a code blue, and that nobody jumps up and down demanding why it was called for something less urgent - like if a patient has a vasovagal and an inexperienced nurse panicks. I think it's a fabulous system, which is why I've gone on so much - sorry!

... MET calls are made for a variety of conditions (resp rate 8, SaO2 130...

Good post. Thanks!

(Think you may have meant respirations over 30 and under 8.)

Oops! Yes, absolutely.

Really, you'd think I'd have my greater-than less-than arrows straight by now... mutter, mutter! :imbar