The Code Blue Alerts - When Seconds Matter

Introduction

The word "code blue" refers to a hospital emergency code used to describe a patient's serious condition. If a patient goes into cardiac arrest, has respiratory problems, or has any other medical emergency, hospital workers may call a code blue. Usually, in hospitals for various emergencies around the world, medical staff are alerted using these hospital emergency codes like code blue to prevent stress or panic among hospital visitors and to easily convey the message or information to the staff quickly without minimum misunderstandings among them.

Based on the theory, all medical professionals must respond to a code. The code coverage in each hospital is based on the disaster plan and helps to set a policy to know which unit has access to the personnel. But in practice, only a limited team has access to advanced cardiac life support to other things which will be relevant to the resuscitation process. General medicine, physicians, and general anesthesia usually come under this blue code team. To rescue the patient, a rapid response team leader or physician will direct the resuscitation process and say to "run the code" in a hospital area if cardiac arrest occurs. The delayed treatment to this results in a lower survival rate. So to reduce and prevent in-hospital deaths, hospitals developed a rapid response team known as "blue code teams."

What Is the Meaning of Code Blue in Hospitals?

• Under the emergency code systems, the blue code is one of the essential codes, among others.

• As there are different colors, assigning to different codes means other things.

• This code helps when the patient needs immediate medical emergency attention.

• When the signal comes from the blue code, the medical staff under it should drop everything and rush toward the emergency room.

• Healthcare providers who come under the code blue team will see the patients who are not breathing or not having a pulse, and they will try to resuscitate the patient along waiting for more help to arrive.

• The different hospitals in different regions have other emergency color codes. At the same time, few specialties in the hospitals use code blue for cardiac arrest, whereas in some states, this code helps adults.

• The code blue alerts hospitals that the patient needs doctors and nurses as soon as possible even though the patient is in whatever condition.

How Does a Code Blue Process Work, and What Are Its Different Steps or Roles During the Procedure?

Every hospital has its own policy regarding code blue incidents. At the start of each shift, several places give clinical workers responsibility for a code blue. Other places may have a policy that requires everyone in the vicinity of an emergency to report to the code blue. Others, on the other hand, may have a specific code blue or resuscitation team.

Having these many codes on hand allows hospitals to be prepared for crises. Every member of the team should be aware of their responsibilities. Even if they are not a member of a code blue crew, they must be aware of how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and utilize a defibrillator. According to one estimate, a code team may get at the spot in three to five minutes. This means that everyone must keep their abilities up to date.

Code blue teams may employ multiple methods to resuscitate someone. CPR, intubation, a defibrillator, and medicines are among the options. People may be assigned to each of these activities, with the process being coordinated by a single person. The "crash cart" contains all of the goods required in a code blue event.

1. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

• The majority of CPR consists of chest compressions, which maintain blood flowing to the organs until the normal heartbeat resumes.

• The person performing CPR places both hands, interlocked fingers, on the chest of the individual experiencing cardiac arrest.

• The person performing CPR applies regulated hard pressure to the other person's chest in a regular rhythm.

• CPR can increase the likelihood of survival by doubling or even tripling them.

2. Management of Airway:

• The second responder will attend to the patient's airway. Because cardiac arrest patients can survive for several minutes with only air from chest compressions, they still need oxygen.

• A bag-mask ventilation device operates through the airway manager, which helps to set the correct oxygen levels and ventilator time with the chest compressions.

3. Defibrillator Usage:

• The next thing will be the usage of the defibrillator by the operator.

• After having a good oxygen flow in the patient, the next priority will be their heart rate.

• An automated external defibrillator (AED) may be used by the code blue team. This device is accessible to everybody. It gives a person in cardiac arrest a life-saving shock. When applied correctly, shock may be able to restore normal cardiac rhythm.

• AEDs have been installed in many public spaces since they can be used by anyone. Most AEDs have simple instructions on them, and the devices read them aloud, but a 911 dispatcher can also assist someone in using the AED.

4. Usage of Crash Cart:

• The defibrillator operator handles the defibrillation process, whereas the other operator deals with the rest of the crash cart.

• This operator will stand next to the patient by holding IV (intravenous) and provide room to open all the drawers on the cart.

• The operator should know everything in the cart beforehand for quick access.

• The crash cart operator must serve the medicine when the patient needs it, so that is the reason why they stand nearby the IV.

5. Leader in the Code Blue Process:

• The leader is usually a physician or advanced practice provider who pays attention to every aspect of the situation.

• The first four roles will focus on the specific resuscitation and communicate with all other actions.

• The leader's primary duty is to track the patient's heart rate, monitor the resuscitation, and communicate with all other roles.

• Clear communication plays an essential role in any code blue procedure. So the team leader instructs by using the closed-loop system, then the other team members will follow the order, perform the action, and say that they have achieved it.

• While so many people are working in a cramped room, the leader must give space to everyone to perform their job with assurance.

• It will include adjusting furniture and relocating any other patients in the room. And if someone shows up, the leader has to tell them what to do, making them help out or wait outside.

6. Documentation:

• Documentation helps to oversee the whole situation. Because the name implies that to document the code blue, the documenter is responsible.

• The additional duty of a documenter is to support the other roles.

• Their duty also includes telling the compressors to switch every two minutes, and one should convey the information about the last medication patient received to other team members.

• Based on the electronic systems, different hospitals have different documentation. So the documenter needs to understand this system and label all the information according to date, time, and patient identifying information.

Conclusion

For intense situations, hospital emergency codes are available. So every healthcare provider will try to rely on this through each new event. People around the patient should be aware of the following things before the arrival of the blue code team. Firstly one should consider the patient's wishes if they are conscious. Then they need to alert the members of campus security about this. People should do first-aid according to the level of their training. They also need to clear the obstructions which are present near them. Then, the healthcare provider will take care of the remaining thing after entering the hospital. The doctors can rest assured by saving the lives of the patient.