Two codes - same time same place?

[DV_EMT]

I was working today and 2 codes happened in the same wing, within 1.5 minutes of each other. it seemed like it was utter chaos. Anyone ever had one of these rare moments?

 

[Aidey]

Not personally. A co-worker had a husband code after doing CPR on his wife though.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

I think it's less rare than you think. Think about traumatic arrests coming out of a shooting. Or fires with entrapped victims. Car accidents.

We were just talking about it on shift the other night of how one of the hospitals has to divert whenever it gets more than 2 arrests at the same time. And whether it makes more sense to take an unstable patient to them when they are on diversion or to go ahead and divert to the next closest, appropriate hospital. It happens often enough at this hospital that we thought about rewriting the protocols last night so I doubt its that rare.

 

[DV_EMT]

wow... so there were a total of 3 codes on the same floor and same week withing my 12 hour shift. I go to work the last one cause i was in the right place at the right time. Very interesting to have 3 in the same place within 12 hours.

 

[nomofica]

Not personally. A co-worker had a husband code after doing CPR on his wife though.

Unfortunate irony.



Never had multiple codes in the same place at the same time.

 

[VentMedic]

In EMS I've had multiple trauma codes at one scene. It usually isn't a problem since our trucks are usually all ALS and there will be several FF/medics on one scene. You work it until it is reasonable to call it at scene and move on to help the others.

In the hospital, we may have one or two codes and sometimes three happening at the same time in the ED. It is also not uncommon for 2 codes to be happening on the floors at the same time. Most of the RRTs (not CRTs) can intubate and the code team will respond to one while the Rapid Response Team will go to another. We try to keep the Rapid Response Team members separate from the code team since they may be running around all day stabilizing patients before they code and that may take some time especially if there is not a unit bed available. Since we have had the Rapid Response Team in place, we have had less codes which is its purpose.

At least in the hospital getting an intubation is rarely a problem which is a good thing since we are generally required to get 12 - 20/year for each age group we are responsible for. Neo and Pedi RRTs need 100 intubations for each age to apply for a transport team. The RNs get 20 - 25 intubations once they are accepted to the team.

 

[redcrossemt]

Since we have had the Rapid Response Team in place, we have had less codes which is its purpose.

RRTs are an excellent thing. We've had similar successes at my local hospitals who have implemented them and made them widely available. The problem at first was that the teams could only be activated by nurses and doctors, who seemed often reluctant to admit needing help. Now the teams can be activated by anyone, including patients and their families, and are gaining support amongst hospital staff as well.

 

[Jeremy89]

I was talking to a nurse I work with about medic school and wanting to intubate someone. He said "sh*t dude, I've intubated someone before- we had 2 codes going on at once [in the ED] and it was my only option". Other than that, no.

Frequently the loved one of a pt we're coding or sending to the cath lab passes out. We had a guy die in the cath lab once, and his wife came back a few minutes later as a pt. Poor woman. He started as an epigastric pain in the ED and deteriorated to where we had to intubate him. He didn't make it through the cath...

 

[CAOX3]

I was working today and 2 codes happened in the same wing, within 1.5 minutes of each other. it seemed like it was utter chaos. Anyone ever had one of these rare moments?

I have a rule if I have more then one code in a day I have to go home.

I have had a medical code which caused a traumatic code at an MVA. Very sad.