{"id":9257,"date":"2016-10-12T23:51:30","date_gmt":"2016-10-12T23:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.inscol.com\/canada\/?p=3319"},"modified":"2022-09-27T09:47:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T09:47:53","slug":"code-blue-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inscol.com\/uae\/blog\/code-blue-everything-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Code Blue! Everything You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are a nurse, you must have heard the term Code Blue every now and again. Are you wondering what Code Blue means? When a patient suffers sudden cardiac or respiratory arrest and needs immediate medical attention, Code Blue is the medical parlance. In other words, Code Blue is a hospital emergency code that is used in all hospitals around the world. If you are a new nurse and don\u2019t have much experience with code blues, then this post is perfect for you.<\/p>\n

When to call Code Blue<\/h4>\n

Code Blue is called when a patient isn\u2019t pumping the oxygenated blood they need to survive. It is likely due to cardiac or respiratory arrest. Before calling a code, you need to do a quick assessment. Find out if your patient is breathing, and check his\/her pulse. If your patient isn\u2019t breathing, or doesn\u2019t have a pulse, it\u2019s time to call code blue. Even if you are not sure, in these situations, it\u2019s considered good to be safe rather than sorry. Nurses often get terrified when they need to respond to the code. Exceptions to this case are patients with DNR orders.<\/p>\n

Patients with DNR Orders<\/h4>\n

In potential code blue situations, patients with do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders are a different case. When you are handling a DNR patient with cardiac or respiratory arrest, you don\u2019t need to perform the recommended measures or call code blue. The reason is, these patients have legal orders stating that they do not wish to receive any kind of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or advanced cardiac life support (ACLS). So nurses and other medical professionals know that specific patients are DNR, these patients wear DNR-marked wristbands. Hospitals also keep DNR orders in patient charts so that it is clear to the professionals treating them.<\/p>\n

What happens during Code Blue?<\/h4>\n

Generally, a patient\u2019s nurse calls the code blue and begins CPR. The moment code blue is called, the situation becomes chaotic. At this time, other medical professionals rush into the room, and life-saving interventions begin. The Code Team consists of two or more critical nurses, one physician, and many other medical specialists. Generally, the doctor runs the code and other members of the team assist with the CPR. They also intubate the patient if necessary to establish an effective airway.<\/p>\n

If the patient\u2019s heart doesn\u2019t have the proper rhythm, then an automated external defibrillator (AED) is used to shock the patient. This allows the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm. In some cases, even shocking the patient doesn\u2019t help. Here are some medications that may rescue the patient:<\/p>\n