153 lines
6.7 KiB
Markdown
153 lines
6.7 KiB
Markdown
---
|
||
title: "Hospital emergency codes"
|
||
chunk: 1/3
|
||
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_emergency_codes"
|
||
category: "reference"
|
||
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T07:28:26.202116+00:00"
|
||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
Hospital emergency codes are coded messages often announced over a public address system of a hospital to alert staff to various classes of on-site 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. Such codes are sometimes posted on placards throughout the hospital or are printed on employee identification badges for ready reference.
|
||
Hospital emergency codes have varied widely by location, even between hospitals in the same community. Confusion over these codes has led to the proposal for and sometimes adoption of standardised codes. In many American, Canadian, and Australian hospitals, for example "code blue" indicates a patient has entered cardiac arrest, while "code red" indicates that a fire has broken out somewhere in the hospital.
|
||
In order for a code call to be useful in activating the response of specific hospital personnel to a given situation, it is usually accompanied by a specific location description (e.g., "Code red, second floor, corridor three, room two-twelve"). Other codes, however, only signal hospital staff generally to prepare for the consequences of some external event such as a natural disaster.
|
||
|
||
== Summary ==
|
||
This table is a simplified summary of the emergency codes documented in this article. Note that there may be additional nuances to meaning and cause in individual regions, and some uncommon codes or callouts are omitted for brevity. More information is given in other sections.
|
||
|
||
== Standardised colour codes ==
|
||
|
||
=== Australia ===
|
||
Australian hospitals and other buildings are covered by Australian Standard 4083 (1997)
|
||
|
||
Code black: security needed, someone is armed, and is a threat to themselves or others
|
||
Code grey: security needed, someone is unarmed, and is a threat to themselves or others
|
||
Code blue: life-threatening medical emergency
|
||
Code brown: external emergency (disaster, mass casualties, etc.)
|
||
Code orange: evacuation
|
||
Code purple: bomb threat
|
||
Code red: fire
|
||
Code yellow: internal emergency
|
||
MET call: a medical emergency that is not cardiac or respiratory arrest; not a code blue situation, but one that may escalate to code blue
|
||
Code pink: a mother is going into labour unexpectedly, or there is a newborn medical emergency,
|
||
Code green: in some hospitals, indicates an urgent Caesarean section
|
||
|
||
=== Canada ===
|
||
|
||
==== Alberta ====
|
||
Codes in Alberta are prescribed by Alberta Health Services.
|
||
|
||
Code black: bomb threat/suspicious package
|
||
Code blue: cardiac arrest/medical emergency
|
||
Code brown: chemical spill/hazardous material
|
||
Code green: evacuation
|
||
Code grey: shelter in place/air exclusion
|
||
Code orange: mass casualty incident
|
||
Code purple: hostage situation
|
||
Code red: fire
|
||
Code white: violence/aggression
|
||
Code yellow: missing patient
|
||
Code 66: rapid medical intervention to prevent the patient deteriorating
|
||
|
||
==== British Columbia ====
|
||
Codes used in British Columbia, prescribed by the British Columbia Ministry of Health.
|
||
|
||
Code amber: missing or abducted infant or child
|
||
Code black: bomb threat
|
||
Code blue: cardiac or respiratory arrest
|
||
Code brown: hazardous spill
|
||
Code green: evacuation
|
||
Code grey: system failure
|
||
Code orange: disaster or mass casualties
|
||
Code pink: paediatric emergency or obstetrical emergency
|
||
Code red: fire
|
||
Code white: aggression
|
||
Code yellow: missing patient
|
||
Code silver: active shooter
|
||
Code purple: neonatal resuscitation
|
||
Code 77: stroke
|
||
Code 99: incoming trauma
|
||
|
||
==== Manitoba ====
|
||
Codes used in Manitoba as defined in WRHA policy,"Codes: Standardised Emergency"; policy No. 50.00.010
|
||
|
||
Code red: fire
|
||
Code blue: cardiopulmonary arrest
|
||
Code orange: disaster (external influx of patients)
|
||
Code green: evacuation
|
||
Code yellow: missing patient/resident
|
||
Code black: bomb threat/search
|
||
Code white: violent incident
|
||
Code brown: internal chemical spill
|
||
Code grey: external air contamination (exclusion)
|
||
Code pink: abduction (infant, child, dependant adult)
|
||
Code 25: medical emergency
|
||
|
||
==== Nova Scotia ====
|
||
The following codes are in use in Nova Scotia.
|
||
|
||
Code black: bomb threat
|
||
Code blue: cardio/respiratory arrest, choking, or other life-threatening emergency
|
||
Code brown: hazardous substance spill/release
|
||
Code census: emergency department overcrowding
|
||
Code green precautionary: evacuation (precautionary)
|
||
Code green stat: evacuation (crisis)
|
||
Code grey: external air exclusion/shelter in place
|
||
Code orange: external disaster/reception of mass casualties
|
||
Code pink: paediatric emergency and/or obstetrical emergency
|
||
Code red: fire
|
||
Code silver: person with a weapon
|
||
Code white: violent person/situation
|
||
Code yellow: missing patient/client
|
||
|
||
==== Ontario ====
|
||
In Ontario, a standard emergency colour code system is used, with minor variations for some hospitals. Additional clinical codes, such as code transfusion, code trauma, code 99,etc. "KGH Emergency code review" (PDF). kingstonhsc.ca. etc.
|
||
|
||
Code amber: missing child/child abduction
|
||
Code black: bomb threat/suspicious object
|
||
Code blue: cardiac arrest/medical emergency
|
||
Code brown: in-facility hazardous spill
|
||
Code green: evacuation (precautionary)
|
||
Code green stat: evacuation (crisis)
|
||
Code grey: infrastructure loss or failure
|
||
Code grey button-down: external air exclusion
|
||
Code orange: external disaster
|
||
Code orange CBRN: CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) disaster
|
||
Code pink: cardiac arrest/medical emergency – infant/child
|
||
Code purple: hostage taking
|
||
Code red: fire
|
||
Code silver: active attacker
|
||
Code white: violent/behavioural situation
|
||
Code yellow: missing person
|
||
|
||
==== Quebec ====
|
||
The following codes are in use in Quebec.
|
||
|
||
Code black: bomb threat/suspicious object
|
||
Code blue: adult cardiac or respiratory arrest, loss of consciousness
|
||
Code brown: in-facility hazardous spill
|
||
Code green: evacuation
|
||
Code orange: external disaster
|
||
Code pink: paediatric cardiac or respiratory arrest, loss of consciousness
|
||
Code purple/lavender: infant/neonatal cardiac or respiratory arrest
|
||
Code red: fire
|
||
Code white: violent patient
|
||
Code yellow: missing or lost patient
|
||
Code silver: active shooter
|
||
|
||
==== Saskatchewan ====
|
||
Codes used in Saskatchewan, prescribed by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
|
||
|
||
Code red: fire and water
|
||
Code orange: incoming casualties/expanded services
|
||
Code green: evacuation/relocation
|
||
Code black: bomb threat/suspicious package
|
||
Code purple: hostage taking
|
||
Code white: aggressive/hostile/combative person
|
||
Code yellow: missing person
|
||
Code blue: cardiac/respiratory arrest
|
||
Code brown: hazardous material/chemical spill
|
||
Code silver: active assailant/person with a weapon
|
||
|
||
==== Yukon ====
|
||
The following codes are in use in Yukon. |