Hospital emergency codes

Hospital Emergency Codes are used in hospitals worldwide to denote to staff various kinds of emergency situations. They are usually coded by color, and the color codes denote different events at different hospitals and are not universal.

Color Code Standardization
In 2000, the Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC) determined that a uniform code system is needed. While codes for fire (red) and medical emergency (blue) were similar in 90% of California hospitals queried, there were 47 different codes used for infant abduction and 61 for combative person. In light of this, HASC published a handbook titled "Healthcare Facility Emergency Codes: A Guide for Code Standardization" listing various codes and has strongly urged hospitals to voluntarily implement the revised codes. According to this revised coding scheme, Code Yellow denotes a bomb threat.

Australian hospitals and other buildings are undergoing their own standardisation. 

Code Amber
Code Amber can denote:
 * a theft or armed robber. (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center)
 * a child or infant abduction. (Healthcare Emergency Codes per New Jersey Hospital Association(NJHA))

Code Black
Code Black is used differently in different hospitals.
 * It may refer to a bomb threat or a bomb being discovered in a workplace.
 * In US Military hospitals, Code Black is the medical emergency term for mass casualties, as from an epidemic or other public health threat.
 * In Australia Australian Standard 3745-2002, "Emergency control organization and procedures for buildings, structures and workplaces" defines a code black as a personal threat. This incorporates a diverse range of situations including assaults, confrontations, hostage situations and threats of personal injury or attack.
 * Often, especially in the Mid-West of the United States, it denotes severe weather, especially tornados.
 * It may refer to a nuclear attack. (Ranken Jordan Pediatric Specialty Hospital)
 * Additionally, it may refer to an infant or child abduction. (Heartland Regional Medical Center)

Code Blue
Code Blue is often used to represent a real or suspected imminent loss of life &mdash; the patient has stopped breathing and their heart has stopped beating, which is referred to as cardiac arrest. CPR should be initiated immediately. The Advanced Cardiac Life Support protocol described by the American Heart Association should be initiated as soon as medical personnel, trained in its use, are on the scene. ACLS involves securing the airway with an endotracheal tube to provide airflow directly to the lungs, as well as assessment of the need of cardiac interventions, injection of appropriate medications and defibrillation ("shock") of the heart when indicated.
 * "Code Blue - Adult" or " - Pediatric" are sometimes used to specify an adult-related or child-related "Code Blue". HASC based changes have suggested these codes be replaced by "Code Blue" and "Code White", respectively.
 * Adult medical emergency (in contrast to Code White for Pediatric medical emergency) per Heathcare Emergency Codes (New Jersey Hospital Association).

Code White
Code White
 * a pediatric medical emergency per Heathcare Emergency Codes (New Jersey Hospital Association).
 * a combative or violent patient (in Canada)

Code Brown
Code Brown can denote a number of things.
 * Severe weather. (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center).
 * External Emergency. (Australian Standard.)
 * Missing Adult ( University of Toledo Medical center)
 * Medical Gas Emergency (Carolinas HealthCare System)
 * The term is sometimes used humorously to refer to a patient having an uncontrolled bowel movement.
 * A chemical spill

Code Gray
Code Gray can denote
 * A combative person with no weapon under HASC suggestions.
 * A security emergency or patient elopement (New Jersey Hospital Association).
 * Imminent severe weather in the Midwest.

Code Green
Code Green can denote a number of things
 * A combative person using physical force, especially weapons. (American Hospitals)
 * Internal disaster. (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
 * Code Green is used to indicate an evacuation situation (Ontario Hospital Emergency Codes)

Code Orange
Code Orange can denote a number of things.


 * It is the Australian Standard for Evacuation.
 * It is also an emergency status term used in certain hospitals to denote a bomb threat or a bomb being discovered within the hospital.
 * Also used for an emergency medical team for patients whose health is rapidly declining (UMASS MEDICAL)
 * "Hazardous material incident" per New Jersey Hospital Association.
 * Prisoner escape
 * Code Orange denotes a disaster, usually external involving mass casualties (Ontario Hospital Emergency Codes)
 * At Swedish First Hill in Seattle, it indicates an out of control patient

Code Pink

 * Code Pink can denote infant/child abduction.
 * Biohazardous contamination of a patient or staff may also be denoted by Code Pink. (Heartland Regional Medical Center)
 * Code Pinks can often be false alarms. When the infant's wristband is cut off it is often slipped into a pocket and walked out with, triggering the alarm. They are also false alarms when being transported through and alarmed exit or elevator.

Code Purple

 * In Canada Code Purple can describe an emergency in which the emergency department reaches its patient limit (a status sometimes called "Total Divert", "triage situation" or "Saturation Alert") where a hospital has to redirect ambulances to other hospitals that still have capacity for additional patients.
 * It can also denote child abduction, may be replaced by Code Pink.
 * Australian Standard for Bomb or Substance alert.
 * Is used when a patient's weight is heavy enough to warrant extra help in transportation/care/etc.
 * In Ontario,Canada it is used in the event of a hostage taking and in some hospitals both a hostage taking or an abduction (Ontario Hospital Association)

Code Red

 * Usually denotes a fire in the building.
 * In some hospitals, it is used for a general surgical patient who needs advanced life support, as distinct from Code Blue for medical patients who need advanced life support.

Code Silver
Code Silver denotes a combative person with a weapon under HASC suggestions.

Code Yellow
Code Yellow can mean a number of things.
 * It is the recommended term used for a bomb threat in many California hospitals according to the HASC handbook and recommended by the New Jersey Healthcare Emergency Codes.
 * It is the new Australian Standard for Internal Disasters for a building.
 * In some trauma centers, it is a page for the emergency response trauma team, typically when a trauma patient is in imminent danger of death.
 * Code Yellow is used to denote a missing patient (Ontario Hospital Emergency Codes).
 * Code Yellow is sometimes used in the Mid-West for tornado warnings or severe weather.

Code 10
Code 10 may denote the expected arrival of a mass casualty, not exceeding 10 people, to the Emergency Department. (Heartland Regional Medical Center)

Code 20
Code 20 can denote the expected arrival of a mass casualty of 10 to 20 people to the Emergency Department. (Heartland Regional Medical Center)

Code 99

 * Code 99 can denote a medical emergency, someone on the verge of death. (Usually Code Blue)
 * Code 99 may mean that a mass casualty of more than 20 people is expected to arrive in the Emergency Department. (Heartland Regional Medical Center)
 * Code 99 may mean a bomb threat has been received.

Code 100
Code 100 may denote a bomb threat, whether by phone or other means. (Heartland Regional Medical Center)

Code Adam

 * May denote missing person.

Code North

 * Code North can denote a combative person. It has been suggested that this be replaced with Code Gray and Code Silver

Dr Pyro

 * In Kaiser Permanente facilities they use "Paging Dr. Pyro", e.g. "Paging Dr. Pyro on 3." Means a fire on the third floor.

Dr Red

 * A variant on Code Red, typically when a fire is isolated, is an announcement "Paging Dr. Red". "Paging Dr. Red, 5 East" means the fire is on 5 East.

Dr Rush-Pace

 * This is a variant of Code Blue, but usually used in Pediatrics, or on floors with many patients families or patients listening.

MASCAL

 * Mass Casualties are sometime abbreviated "MASCAL".

Triage

 * Disaster code per Heathcare Emergency Codes (NJ Hospital Association).

Clear

 * All clear code per Heathcare Emergency Codes (NJ Hospital Association).

Bomb Threat
Can have a variety of Codes, including Code Black, Code Orange
 * Code Yellow: HASC
 * Code 10: Standford University Medical Center (old system)
 * Code Black: Markham Stouffville Hospital
 * Code Blue: Some schools in Western New York
 * Code 100: Heartland Regional Medical Center

Child Abduction/Missing Person

 * Code Pink can denote child abduction
 * Code Purple was sometimes also used for Child Abduction
 * Code Adam is sometimes used for missing person.
 * Code White is used in the IWK Health Centre for a missing person.
 * Code Yellow: Markham Stouffville Hospital
 * Code Black: Heartland Regional Medical Center
 * Code Stork: child/infant abduction

Combative Person/Assault

 * Code North: Stanford University Medical Center
 * Code Grey: Combative Person with no weapon (HASC)
 * Code Silver: Combative Person with a weapon (HASC)
 * Code Black: Personal Attack (Australian Standard Code)
 * Code White: Violent Patient (Markham Stouffville Hospital)
 * Security Stat: Heartland Regional Medical Center

Evacuation

 * Code White: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
 * Code Orange: Australian Standard.

Fire

 * Usually Code Red
 * Sometimes Dr Red or Dr Pyro.

Internal Disaster

 * Code Green: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. (Although Fire is Code Red and Evacuation is Code White.)
 * Code Yellow: Standford University Medical Center (old system), Australian Standard
 * Code Triage - Internal: HACS

Lockdown/Limited Access

 * Code Orange: Ontario (Canada) Hospitals, used to indicate when the hospital is limiting access to the facilities. Volunteers, Families and Students may be denied access. (Was used during SARS Outbreak of 2003).

Mass Casualty Incident

 * Code Yellow: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
 * Code Black: Military Hospitals
 * MASCAL may also be used
 * Code 10, Code 20, or Code 99: Heartland Regional Medical Center

Medical Emergency - Imminent Death

 * Usually Code Blue, sometimes Code 99. Because this is the most frequent code, a patient undergoing cardiac arrest is often referred to as "Coding."

Severe Weather

 * Code Brown: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
 * Code Black: La Rabida Children's Hospital (Chicago)
 * Code Gray: Cook Childrens Medical Center
 * Code Yellow: Heartland Regional Medical Center

Theft/Armed Robbery

 * Code Amber: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
 * Code Amber: New Jersey Hospital Association

Total Divert

 * Can be denoted as Code Purple or Code Yellow

Pop culture trivia

 * Code black is a medical term used in the ABC series Grey's Anatomy, in the episode "It's The End of the World". In this instance, the term refers to the presence or the threat of a bomb within the hospital.


 * In the film Johnny Mnemonic a character uses the name Dr. Allcome, claiming it is a hospital code for "Doctors All Come..."


 * The hardcore punk band TSOL has a song called "code blue" which is about necrophilia