Hospital Emergencies

The Cascade Hospital

Last updated June 26, 1999

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Hospital Emergencies

~ Code Blue and other emergencies ~

Please read the Sentinel and Medical Disclaimers.

Code Blue
Code Yellow
Code Red
Code Orange
Code Pink
Code Triage

Samples of Hospital Emergency Codes (these terms may differ for different hospitals)

All of these codes are usually announced over the hospital intercom, along with the exact location (floor and/or unit) where the emergency is taking place (for example, "Code Red, Unit 5700"). When the emergency no longer exists, an "All Clear" announcement is made and repeated 3 times over the intercom. ("Code Red 5700 all clear. Code Red 5700 all clear. Code Red 5700 all clear.").

Code Blue

Code Blue is the term for a medical emergency, meaning a person is possibly in danger of immediately dying. The procedure is to immediately call for help (911 or by pressing the nearest code blue button) and begin life-saving techniques (like CPR) if necessary. Qualified personnel on the scene will bring the nearest "crash cart", a special cart kept on all wards and in the ER and containing life-saving equipment, including a defibrillator (pads used to deliver an electric shock to the heart) and equipment for establishing an airway (intubating). If the person in trouble is assessed and not responding, the ABC's should be followed -- the airway, breathing, and circulation are to be checked in that order, working to establish one after the other. CPR should be used if necessary.

Code Yellow

Code Yellow is the term for a hazardous materials emergency, such as a chemical spill, gas leak, or biohazard spill (cultures of bacteria or viruses). The procedure is to
1) Remove people from the area
2) Alert others in the area
3) Call 911 and/or the local Hazardous Materials (Haz Mat) team
4) Confine the spill if possible to do safely
5) Account for all people in the area
6) Secure the area and prevent others from entering

Code Red

Code Red is the term for a fire. One acronym for what to do is RACE:
Rescue -- get people out of the area, shutting doors behind you.
Alarm -- activate the nearest fire alarm and call 911
Contain -- close doors and windows in the area. Turn off air conditioners and fans if possible.
Extinguish -- if this can be done safely, use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire.

Code Orange

Code Orange is the term for a bomb threat. If the threat is made by phone, the person receiving the phone call should note and write down the time of the threat and the exact wording the caller uses. If the caller can be kept on the phone, the following questions should be asked in this order:
1) what time will the bomb go off?
2) where is it?
3) what does it look like?
4) why hurt us?
5) what kind of bomb is it?
6) who are you?
Also helpful are to note the caller's voice and describe it and any background noises.
The threat should be reported immediately to security and/or call 911.

Code Pink

Code Pink is the term for a possible infant or child abduction from a hospital. As soon as the abduction is suspected, call 911 and inform the charge nurse. Maintain vigilance for any suspicious people leaving the area. Often security has a special plan deploying its personnel and blocking all exits from the area until the child is either found or the abduction found to be a false alarm.

Code Triage

Code Triage is a term for an internal hospital disaster, such as an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, or flood. Sometimes this code has different levels, indicating the severity of the disaster. For example, a "Code Triage Level I" would be informative and require no action by most hospital personnel since the ER could handle all casualties. A Code Triage Level II would indicate that hospital personnel stand by for emergency assignments. A Level III alert would indicate that hospital personnel report to their emergency duty stations (previously assigned in event of an emergency).

Hospital Emergencies

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