What Is Code Red in Medical Terminology?

People who work in hospitals sometimes use special slang, such as "code red." Although many hospitals have adopted a code red status, no specific designated meaning exists.

Identification

• Hospitals may declare themselves in a code red situation when the hospital has so many patients that they have reached their carrying capacity, at least for the time being.

Alternative Use

• Alternatively, some hospitals are known to use the term code red for when a person enters with cardiopulmonary arrest (a heart attack), according to MedicineNet.com.

Effects

• For code reds when the hospital reaches its patient limit, the hospital will take critical-care patients first. For a heart attack, the hospital may assign people to a code red team, which gathers when someone notifies members of a code red alert.

Function

• Each hospital has its own way of declaring a code red. Some may announce it over a public speaker system; others may pass the message through a beeper or special alert system.

Tips

• People should not get caught up in the exact meaning of the term "code red" in a hospital. Medical staff have their own systems and are trained to respond to emergencies. In addition, code reds are common in other places or for other reasons, such as for a bomb threat, a fire or other emergency situation.