Comparison of code blue application and results in a training and research hospital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background & Objective: Code blue is an emergency management system that allows for a rapid professional response to the patients of cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) in hospitals. The time to initiate the call and the response of the ‘Code Blue Team’ may vary in different hospitals, and it me be linked with the survival of the victim. We examined and compared the code blue application utilized in our hospital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology: Code Blue Call (CBC) logs from March 01, 2018 to March 31, 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The study period was divided into two parts: March 01, 2018–February 28, 2020 (Group I, pre-pandemic period) and March 01, 2020–March 31, 2022 (Group II, pandemic period).

Results: During the study period, a total of 1542 CBC’s were received, of which 837 (54.3%) were ‘true’ CBC’s. Of the 837 true CBC’s included in the study, 477 (56.7%) were for male patients and 360 (43.3%) were for the females. We evaluated the month-wise distribution of the CBC’s; the month with the highest number of calls in Group I was January 2019 (n = 29, 17.3%), while in Group II it was December 2020 (n = 59, 23.1%). The arrival time of the code blue team was significantly different between the groups, e.g., 3.15 ± 0.52 vs. 3.81 ± 0.58 min in Group I vs. Group II respectively.

Conclusion: The intervention times of the code blue team and the success of cardiopulmonary resuscitation were observed to be comparable during the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. The duration of commencement of intervention is important for the efficacy of cardiopulmonary resuscitation during a pandemic.

Abbreviations: CBC: Code Blue Call; CBT: code blue team; COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease-19; CPA: cardiopulmonary arrest

Key words: COVID-19; CPR; Code Blue; Pandemic

Citation: Çelik HK, Kuşderci HS. Comparison of code blue application and results in a training and research hospital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2022;27(1):123−130. DOI: 10.35975/apic.v27i1.2121

Received: September 20, 2022; Reviewed: November 30, 2022; Accepted: December 01, 2022