UNIT -IIIEMERGENCY SERVICES CODES IN A HOSPITAL

Kala Reddy Gandra

INTRODUCTION

Hospital emergency codes are used in hospitals worldwide to alert staff to various emergencies. The use of codes is intended to convey essential information quickly and with minimal misunderstanding to staff, while preventing stress and panic among visitors to the hospital. These codes may be posted on placards throughout the hospital, or printed on employee identification badges for ready reference.

Back of a hospital ID badge showing disaster codes. Hospital emergency codes may denote different events at different

hospitals, including those in the same community. Because many physicians work at more than one facility, this may lead to confusion in emergencies, so uniform systems have been proposed.

EMERGENCY CODE AND PREPARDNESS

What Is An Emergency Code? An emergency code is a notification of an

event that requires immediate action.

Preparing for the Unexpected Emergencies can strike anywhere and at any

time. In the spirit of proactivity we encourage you to have your own emergency preparedness plan.

WHAT IS CHANGING WITH EMERGENCY CODES?

Emergency codes are being changed to incorporate use of “plain-language.”

Plain-language typically uses a phrase to identify the type of emergency, the code itself, and the location of the emergency. Example 1: “Security alert, missing person, 3rd floor

east tower.” Example 2: “Facility alert, fire alarm, 1st floor

cafeteria.”

THE EMERGENCY CODES

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW1. Categories2. Types of codes BENEFITS :People understand the information received without

further extensive explanation.People know what actions are required based on the

information received.All emergency responders within the hospital need to

know clearly and quickly what the emergency is, where the emergency is, and how they should respond to effectively coordinate activities.

CATEGORIES

1. Facility Alert Code Examples:

Evacuation

Fire alarm

Hazardous spill

2. MEDICAL ALERT CODES

EXAMPLES

Influx of Patients/Mass Causality Incident

Medical emergency (e.g., cardiac arrest, rapid response, etc.)

3. SECURITY ALERT CODES

EXAMPLES

Missing person

Active shooter

Bomb threat

Security assist

4. FACILITY ALERT CODES

EXAMPLES

Computer outage Evacuation Fire Flood Hazardous spill, etc.

TYPES OF CODES

1. Code Blue : Cardiac arrest 2. Code Red : External disaster3. Code Brown : Internal disaster4. Code Pink : Baby disaster 5. Code Grey : Security threats / workplace

violence 6. Code Orange : Medical emergency team(MET)Codes shall be announced thrice over the PA system

and shall be repeated every 30 seconds for 2 minutes.Mock drills at least every 6 months in all shifts and

done areas specific especially in vulnerable areas like OT, ICU’ S, Dialysis, etc.

1. CODE BLUE

"Code Blue" is generally used to indicate a patient requiring resuscitation or in need of immediate medical attention, most often as the result of a respiratory arrest or cardiac arrest. When called overhead, the page takes the form of "Code Blue, (floor), (room)" to alert the resuscitation team where to respond. Every hospital, as a part of its disaster plans, sets a policy to determine which units provide personnel for code coverage.

2. CODE RED

An external disaster is an event which has taken out side the hospital .

Examples  Floods Earthquakes Tsunamis Train accidents Building collapse External disaster is declared when the expected

patient inflow is more than emergency department bad capacity. It is only declared by the C.E.O of the hospital or emergency department head .

3.CODE BROWN

An internal disaster is an event that may impair the operations of the hospital and disrupt normal patient care activities.

Example : Power outage Fire Flood

4. CODE PINK

BABY DISASTER : child missing from the hospital /sent with

wrong parent or any child related disaster.

5. CODE GREY

NEED FOR SECURITY PERSONNEL : Applies to any incident where hospital security

personnel are needed. This may include, but not be limited to: a violent/combative person; a missing person; criminal activity or other situations where enhanced security is required.

6.CODE ORANGE

Medical Emergency Example: Chest pain accompanied by sweating, nausea, vomiting,

shortness of breath, radiating pain that moves to the arm or neck, dizziness, or feeling that your heart is beating irregularly or too fast.

Severe bleeding that doesn't stop after 15 minutes of direct pressure.

HOW IS AN EMERGENCY CODE CALLED?

The code should be called in a three-part statement to include Alert category Specific code description Location of emergency

Example: “Medical alert, cardiac arrest, Room 231.”

Additional information or instructions can be provided if known---for example, the description of a missing person.

How do I respond to the new emergency codes?

Your response to the emergency code does not change. The only change is the language used to announce the emergency situation.

Follow the hospital’s policy and procedure for the specific emergency situation.