What the heck is a 'code'?

[Just Plain Ruff]

Hey NS I'll bet the guy in handcuffs goin to jail wishes that there was a 1/2 arrest and 1/4 arrest.

But yeah, if i'm bringing a patient in the er I'll say cardiac arrest or resp arrest but being on the other end, many nurses and physicians after hearing that the ambulance in bringing in a cardiac arrest will say "The guys are bringing in a code" or something like that.

You hear code more often in the hospital than in the ambulance because that is what they call arrests, Codes.

[hfdff422]

If we are bringing in a "code" it refers to the fact that we are working a mega-code which is the hospitals terminology. Age, sex and time before being worked (if known) are about all they expect you to have time to discuss enroute. So you tell them you are working a mega-code on a 78 year old male, unknown time prior to initiation of CPR and they know what to do and you get back to work. This is not slang, this is effective use of terminology to reduce time away from critical duties.

[nsmedic393]

Most hospitals have an established code system. Code blue, code purple, code black, code white etc... In the world of EMS we do not have such a system (as far as I know). When you are transporting in a violent patient do you say you have a code white?

[Dustdevil]

Code is the normal term for a cardiac arrest in the hospital or long term care setting almost universally in the US. Notice I say it is the term for a cardiac arrest, not for actually WORKING a cardiac arrest. So, a patient can "code" without actually receiving CPR or other care. "She coded" means she died or suffered full arrest.

Now, again in the hospital setting, there are varying degrees of codes floating around. A "full code" means that this patient will be treated to the full gamut of ACLS and BLS care in an attempt to resuscitate. The other two types of "codes" I have encountered in the hospital are, of course, the "no code" which has (or family has) refused CPR for, and the "chemical code," where the family doesn't want you beating on the chest, intubating, shocking, or otherwise molesting their loved one, but do want you to try pharmaceutical interventions. "She's a full code" means that IF she arrests, she is to receive the full nine yards.

Because of the frequency with which those two alternatives are utilised in in-patient care, nurses will very commonly specify the type of code they are referring to.

[Michael]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_emergency_codes

At this time of year there's also the ever popular complaint "I hab a code id by dode."

[AnthonyM83]

Riding with San Francisco FD, they called it a "resus" or "resuscitation", even if no resuscitations efforts were underway at time of dispatch. It's the kind of call that it's going to be once they arrive.

Here, they say "full arrest" for cardiac arrest.

The way I think of code is:

A Code Blue is the situational code for medical personnel when someone's gone into cardiac arrest. There are specific procedures in place for it.

• a Code (Blue) by doing resuscitative measures.

You can have a Code (Blue) by working a cardiac arrest.

You can Code (Blue), be Coding (Blue), or even be a Code (Blue) by going into cardiact arrest yourself.

• If you have no resuscitation DNR, you're a No Code (Blue), meaning if you go into cardiac arrest, there's not going to be a Code Blue situation.

If you have a limited/restricted/partial DNR, you can be a Partial Code (Blue), meaning if you go into cardiac arrest, there's going to be a limited Code Blue situation with only some of the Code Blue procedures being used.

If you don't have a DNR, you're a Full Code (blue), meaning if you go into cardiac arrest it's going to be a full/regular Code Blue situation with all procedures.

Then there's going Code (3) to a call, lights and sirens. Every now and then you might hear someone say "I was going full code" probably meaning they were responding lights and sirens, rather than lights only or an "Easy (Code) 3".

BTW, I've also had a nurse yell Code Blue when I brought in a baby whom I was assisting with ventillations. Pulse was fine, though.

[Richard B the EMT]

As with always, following your local protocols, I am aware of a "Code" as being, in my geographic area, meaning a Cardiac Arrest.

For announcing it over the public address system at the hospitals, it varies from "Code Blue", to "CAC (Cardiac Arrest Call)", to "Code 99", "Code 66", to simply saying "Code". I also note that for a fire situation in the hospital, at least locally, they seem to use "Code Red".

In the days when the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation ran EMS (prior to the "merger" of EMS into the FDNY on March 17, 1996), when the Bellevue Hospital-based Mobile Emergency Room Vehicle, commonly known as MERV-1, was activated, they'd page "Dr, Day, Dr. May Day" to notify the predesignated Doctors and Nurses to get to the ER Ambulance dock to board the MERV.

As for on the ambulances themselves, it can and will vary by service. I always operated under the assumption that "Code 1" was "No lights and sirens", as for an Emotionally Disturbed Person call (let's argue if that should be an EMS or PD call in another forum, huh, folks?), "Code 2" for "lights on and siren as conditions warrant it's use". "Code 3" is always a "Lights and siren engaged at all times while enroute" deal. Code 3 is also an EMS related products dealer, that I know about, but have never used.

Some Ambulances have colored lights to silently communicate from the patient compartment to the cab. I operated with Green to "Go", Yellow for "easy ride due to patient's condition", and Red for "stop." Many runs were under combined green and yellow.

However, we had one driver didn't get the plan explained to him, we wanted to stop, and he went at higher speed to the hospital. His explanation was that he thought the Red meant something like the so-called "Diesel IV" due to the patient's condition we should get to the hospital as quickly as possible. At least he was quickly retrained in what the little lights meant!

(Sidenote- The MERVs are now being replaced by newer vehicles called MIRVs, for Major Incident Response Vehicles, which can carry 5 or 6 patients at the same time, as opposed to the 2 streacher carry capability of the usual ambulances)

[AnthonyM83]

I like the idea of lights to communicate with the driver. My partner and I are still figuring out systems. We mainly just yell, "IV!" or "Smooth driving!" when a procedure is being done.

[Dustdevil]

I like the idea of lights to communicate with the driver.

Definitely.

A MagLite to the back of the head works wonders for correcting your driver's poor driving!

[wakkoemt807]

Definitely.

A MagLite to the back of the head works wonders for correcting your driver's poor driving!

Ha ha ha that's awesome!!!!!