Diversity of Emergency Codes in Hospitals
Open Access IJCM
502
Continued
Emergency Codes Meaning of the code n %
10 14 Suspiciou s pe rson 1 2.6
Alpha Kidnapping/robbery/theft of child/infant or chil d lost 1 2.6
Amber Kidnapping/robbery/theft of child/infant or child lost 11 28.2
Coca Cola Real patient during dr i l l 1 2.6
D1 External disaster 1 2.6
Delta External disaster 1 2.6
Delta Internal disaster 1 2.6
H2O Flood 20 51.3
H2O Spilled liquids 1 2.6
Don’t know Don’t k now the emergency codes 3 7.7
“Rápida” Rapid Re sponse Team 1 2.6
S Attempted kidnapping 2 5.1
TD Evacuation 1 2.6
4. Discussion
The findings clearly show that there is a lack of unifor-
mity and clarity in the emergency codes and alerts util-
ized in hospitals in Puerto Rico . A single code could have
diverse meanings in different hospitals. This could ad-
versely affect an efficient and effective emergency mobi-
lization of patients, visitors and hospital perso nnel during
an emergency. The lack of standardization increases the
potential for confusion or misinformation during critical
times [1]. In Puerto Rico, on August 10, 2011 Law 170-
2011, which allows the Department of Health to imple-
ment the standardization of protocol codes for emergency
care facilities in the private and public health sector was
approved [6]. This law represents an additional pr eparedness
effort; however, it is not completely implemented yet.
An emergency can happen at any time. Clear commu-
nication is a key element to ensure a quick response to
protect patients, visitors and staff. The fact is that code
alert and standardization among all hospitals may not be
immediate and there will need to be a planned transition
to the recommended code set. Several implications of the
diversity or inconsistent codes for the differences in ter-
minology have to be considered for planning, communi-
cation, and operations during an actual event [7]. Ac-
cording to the Hospital Incident Command System guid-
ance, it is important to po int out th e need to us e clear lan-
guage in case of a disaster event, especially when dealing
with external resources [8]. The goal is for hospitals to
phase in the implementation of the recommended codes
so that the required materials and training can be devel-
oped and offered at a time best suited for hospital per-
sonnel. Clearly, considerable training and financial re-
sources will be required for this transition to be con-
ducted efficiently and effectively [9].
5. Acknowledgements
Data for this study came from the Assessment of the
Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Response Ca-
pabilities of Hospital Emergency Departments in Puerto
Rico, conducted during 2011. Funding source by ASPR-
USDHHS, administered by the Puerto Rico Department
of Health, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Re-
sponse, under contract 2010-DS0609. We acknowledge
the support we received from the hospitals that partici-
pated in the study and the Hospital Association of Puerto
Rico for their willingness to take into account data de-
rived from our studies in formulating health policy. We
would also like to thank Wined Ramírez López, for help-
ing in the edition of this manuscript and Julieanne
Miranda Bermúdez, for the preparation of the map.
REFERENCES
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dmr.2006.12.001