EmergencEmergencyy Codes Codes

Nursing Education Department

Objectives

• 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.

Emergency Codes Card Emergency Codes Card

Code Blue Cardiac arrest

Code Yellow External Disaster

Code Pink Child Abduction / Kidnapping

Code Purple Physical Assault

Code Black Bomb Threat, Internal Disaster 

Code Red Fire 

Code Orange Evacuation

How To Activate the Emergency Codes?How To Activate the Emergency Codes? Define and clarify the emergency situation. Confirm the code color. Call 111.  Inform and determine the emergency code. Specify the location of the emergency, e.g. 4th Floor; Department and 

room 305  Give your name and your ID. Repeat to confirm a clear message 

ExampleExample: : A cardiac arrest happened in MMSW …

Nurse X, will activate as following:1- confirm the emergency code.2- call 111.3- nurse X, will say: Code Blue, 4th Floor MMSW, Room 504.4- My Name: Nurse X, my ID : 123456

CODE BLUE

Code Blue is generally used to indicate a patient requiring resuscitation, most often as the result of a Respiratory Arrest or Cardiac Arrest.

Start following the basic life support guidelines until the code blue team arrive.

Code blue team must arrive within 5 minutes.

CODE BLUE

Code Blue Team:

ICU Specialist or Consultant as Team Leader.

Anesthesiologist.

Respiratory Therapist.

ICU Head Nurse or Charge Nurse, or Team Leader.

ER Head Nurse or Charge Nurse or Team Leader.

Nursing Supervisor.

Security

CODE YELLOW

Code Yellow will be used in case of external disaster like earthquake, bomb exploration or multiple road traffic accident  

CODE YELLOW - EOP

When and how to Activate?

After receiving 10 cases  from external disaster, code yellow will be activated. 

Head of ER will inform the manager on duty who will inform the high management, then approval for activation will confirmed.

Every body will follow the emergency operational  plan. 

CODE YELLOW

The objective of the Emergency Operational Plan is to effectively prepare for, manage a disaster or emergency and restore the facility to the same operational capabilities as pre-disaster levels.

CODE PURPLE

Code Purple for all physical Assault in the hospital either with patients or visitors or HMG Staff. 

Purpose: Purpose:  To establish a process to protect patients from assault in the 

hospital.  To establish a process to protect Hospital staff from assault. To establish standardized guidelines and procedures in the event of 

an assault occurred within the hospital premisis.

CODE BLACK

Anyone with a quarter to make a telephone call can disrupt the operations of a business. The use of explosives or the threat to use explosives is becoming more prevalent.

Bomb threats may be received by mail, message or in person, they are usually made by telephone. If a bomb threat is received, two options •exist: to evacuate the building immediately and/or to search the premises.

No threat should be ignoredNo threat should be ignored

CODE PINK

Code Pink for an infant or child abduction in the hospital.

STORKS: Search the unit for infant/child and Secure the scene.

T: Telephone notification by calling the emergency number 111, and give the important information.

O: Obtain pertinent information and protect the potential crime scene  until Safety & Security Manager Arrives

R: Report and Reassign the mother/family to a different room for security purposes.

K: Keep all staff and visitors on the unit until Police arrives.  Police authorities  will release staff and visitors at their discretion.

CODE RED

Code Red: it is alarm for Fire inside the hospital. 

Purpose of fire safety plan  to protect patients, visitors, contractors and employees.  to minimize property damage.

CODE RED

RACE 

CODE RED

PASS

CODE RED

Fire Prevention and protection:

 Training all of the hospital’s staff. preparing and distributing the plan in the hospital. applying fire drill in each department. applying hospital wide fire drill.  

CODE ORANGE

Code Orange is for purpose of evacuation from the hospital 

Hospital Evacuation Steps. Code Orange – Standby. Code Orange – in effect.  Code Orange – clear 

CODE ORANGE

Hospital Evacuation types  Horizontal Evacuation. Vertical Evacuation. 

All staff and visitors and patient will go to assembly point by using the fire exit and stairs …

Don’t use elevators for evacuation 

CODE ORANGE

CODE ORANGE

Assembly Point

Thank you