code blue
Cardiac arrest alert
Code blue is a hospital emergency announcement indicating a patient has gone into cardiac or respiratory arrest and needs immediate resuscitation.
Medical staff use this and similar color codes to communicate urgent situations without alarming visitors or other patients.
The phrase has extended into general use for any critical emergency requiring immediate response.
When I heard "code blue" over the intercom, nurses sprinted past me toward room 312.
Abrupt cessation of circulation
- crash cartEmergency medical supply cart
- defibrillatorHeart-shocking medical device
- resuscitationRestoring vital functions
- CPREmergency revival technique
chest compressions · flatline · unresponsive · pulseless · asystole · ventricular fibrillation · emergency response · life-threatening
Emergency revival technique
- defibrillationElectric cardiac rhythm reset
- chest compressionsRhythmic pressure on sternum
- rescue breathsEmergency lung inflation
- airwayPassage for breath
intubation · advanced life support · basic life support · ROSC · pulse check · cardioversion · epinephrine · vasopressin
Acute care ward
- ERAcute care department
- intensive careSpecialized treatment for severe illness
- trauma unitFacility for critical injuries
- crash cartEmergency medical supply cart
attending physician · nurse · respiratory therapist · anesthesiologist · monitor · ventilator · IV line · bedside
cardiac arrest
Abrupt cessation of circulation
- crash cartEmergency medical supply cart
- defibrillatorHeart-shocking medical device
- resuscitationRestoring vital functions
CPR · chest compressions · flatline · unresponsive · pulseless · asystole · ventricular fibrillation · emergency response · life-threatening · critical
CPR
Emergency revival technique
- defibrillationElectric cardiac rhythm reset
- chest compressionsRhythmic pressure on sternum
- rescue breathsEmergency lung inflation
airway · intubation · advanced life support · basic life support · ROSC · pulse check · cardioversion · epinephrine · vasopressin · recovery position
ICU
Acute care ward
- ERAcute care department
- intensive careSpecialized treatment for severe illness
- trauma unitFacility for critical injuries
crash cart · attending physician · nurse · respiratory therapist · anesthesiologist · monitor · ventilator · IV line · bedside · patient room
- medicinedoctor, doctors, hospital, medicine, surgery
- emergency medicalemergency room, ambulance, EMS, ER, EMT
- Emergency MedicineEMT, emergency medicine, EMS, paramedic, paramedics
- emergency responsefirst responders, emergency services, fire alarm, 911, call 911
- Emergency RoomER doctor, ER nurse, triage nurse, trauma bay, gurney
- hospitalshospital, ER, emergency room, ICU, operating room
code bluestable condition
Neither worsening nor improving
all clear · uneventful · routine care · code green · baseline
code blueall clear
Signal danger has passed
stand down · code green · false alarm · drill · routine
code bluefull recovery
Return to prior health
out of the woods · discharge · recovery · discharged · responsive